Atelier Blancs Manteaux presents :Innovation beyond space & time

Collaboration between Japanese craftmen & European Designers

A new Parisian gallery, nestled in the heart ofthe Marais, Atelier Blancs Manteaux (ABM)presents the ABM Academy program. The
aim: To link Japanese craftsmanship andEuropean design to promote ancestral Japaneseexpertise and to create innovative items suited
to the Western market. Four projects from thisprogram will be presented from January 21 ‘til
February 6 2016 at Atelier Blancs Manteaux.

ATELIERBLANCS MANTEAUX
38 rue des Blancs Manteaux
75004 Paris
website : abmparis.com
Vernissage
Saturday, January 23 2016, from 6.30pm
Press contact :Sarah Marcadé
presse@abmparis.com
M. 06 62 72 26 84

This exhibition includes 59 Japanese artisans and 20 European designers.
The designers, most of whom are French, visited Japan to observe, discussand work with the artisans there, in accordance with their technicalknowledge and expertise. The results of their collaboration include avariety of categories: tableware, lighting, furniture and fashion accessories.
With the support of various governmental organisations (METI, SME
Support, Kyoto Prefecture, the City of Kyoto), this exhibition is of particularimportance for Japanese craftsmanship, which is in decline. In 20 years, thenumber of businesses linked to craftsmanship has tumbled from 30,000 to
15,000 and the number of artisans has fallen from 250,000 to 90,000, aloss which is not only financial but also cultural. The Japanese governmentis therefore trying to safeguard and promote this heritage worldwide.

Atelier Blancs Manteaux (ABM)
Located in the heart of the Marais, Atelier Blancs Manteaux (ABM) is a
new space in Paris where clients can discover and buy authentic Japanese
objects which combine expertise and quality. With numerous exhibitions
throughout the year, the Atelier presents you with a range of innovative
traditional handicrafts. Expect to see sober, ergonomic and originaldesigns.
Led by Mineaki Saito, Atelier Blancs Manteaux was founded by EXA Partners(consulting company, Paris), TCI Laboratory (laboratory for research anddevelopment of handicrafts, Kyoto) and Maruwakaya (artisanal consultingand creation, Tokyo).

ABM Academy’s projects:

KYOTO CONTEMPORARY
Launched in 2014, the Contemporary Kyoto project, supported bythe cities of Kyoto and Paris, brings together art professionals fromKyoto and designers in the Ateliers de Paris’ network for eight-monthcollaborations which aim to create decorative objects or fashion
accessories for the European market. The works produced as part ofthis program will also be presented at Ateliers de Paris from January 7‘til January 19 2016.

CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE DESIGNThe Contemporary Japanese Design program, supported by SME
Support Japan, encourages international collaborations between
manufacturers and artisans from all over Japan and French andGerman designers. Through shared experiences and expertise, allwhilst making new friends, this program has produced unique andinnovative projects which were presented in February 2015 at theFrankfurt Ambiente and early this year in France, for the first time!

WHEN TRADITION MEETS MODERNITY...:This project presents the work of 10 artisans from Kyoto who wantto promote their traditional technical knowledge, passed down fromgeneration to generation. Through their art, they have transformed
real objects into modern designer pieces. This project is financed andsponsored by Kyoto Prefecture.

NEO DENSAN
Neo Densan is a continuation of the projects which are part of theContemporary Kyoto program. With the help of METI Kansai (Ministryof Economy, Trade and Industry in the Kansai region), this program
offers support to Japanese artisan and French designer pairs with thedesign of their art.

ATELIERBLANCS MANTEAUX

Atelier Blancs Manteaux brings together all these projects to ensure
their visibility in Paris. The chairman of ABM is Mineaki Saito, theformer Deputy Director General of the Hermès group. The ABM
Academy program is led by Kotaro Nishibori, one of the founders ofABM. Born into a family of traditional umbrella (wagasa) makers inKyoto, he had the idea of adapting this expertise to lighting and now
puts his ingenuity to use in the service of Japanese craftsmanship.
You can meet the French designers and Japanese artisans who arepart of this project, along with Mr Saito and Mr Nishibori at a viewing
which will take place on: Saturday, January 23 2016, from 6.30pm
at Atelier Blancs Manteaux, 38 rue des Blancs Manteaux, 75004, Paris