An exhibition has opened at 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo revealing the craft history behind the Japanese ramen bowl.
The Art of the Ramen Bowl features over 300 examples of the traditional noodle dish, both historic and contemporary, showcasing highly specialised ceramic techniques.
Ten artists and designers were commissioned to create new bowl and spoon sets for the show, including 21_21 co-director Naoto Fukasawa.
The other contributions came from Yuko Higuchi, Morihiro Hosokawa, Shigesato Itoi, Shun Sasaki, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Yui Takada, Naoto Takenaka, Mina Tabei and LiSA.
The show also features three playful reinterpretations of the ramen stall: a boat-like design by Takashi Nakahara, a metal-framed cart by Tonerico:Inc and a thatched stand presented by Takenaka Corporation.
The Art of the Ramen Bowl was curated by 21_21’s Taku Satoh and writer Mari Hashimoto, building on a topic the pair first explored in a show back in 2014.
The ramen bowl provides a lens through which to explore the 1300-year history of Mino ceramics, the name given to pottery produced in Japan’s western Tono region.
“Even those who eat ramen daily hardly know that some 90 per cent of ramen bowls are produced in western Tono,” said the duo in their curatorial statement.
“Diversity in technique and function make Tono a microcosm of the history and development of Japanese ceramics,” they stated.
The show is divided into four sections starting with Ramen Past and the Present, where infographics and a a sound installation chart the history and culture of ramen eating.
Anatomy of Ramen and Ramen Bowls highlights the design characteristics of ramen bowls, including shape texture and decoration, and how they relate to different types of noodle.
The 10 new ramen bowl and spoon commissions feature among 40 different contemporary designs, including pieces by Junya Ishigami, Jonathan Barnbrook, Keiichi Tanaami and Kazufumi Nagai.
The final section spotlights the production of Mino ceramics, featuring 10 works by specialist potters including Shino ware and Oribe ware.
Other focal points include a collection of ramen bowls from around the world, amassed by artist Yasuyuki Kaga, and a garden planted with Japanese red pines, traditionally used in Mino production.
“By looking at ramen from the perspective of the bowl, we hope visitors will enjoy the fascination of discovering what goes into making up the everyday ramen experience, and people and designs lying behind it,” said the curators.
Other recent exhibitions at 21_21 include Pooploop, which looked at how human excrement and other types of waste can become more valuable to people and planet.
The Art of the Ramen Bowl is on show at 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo from 7 March until 15 June 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
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