--From the text of the exhibition introduction--

One of my research themes is the new relationship between a tool and a person.

This is the question of how tools, which were born with a certain purpose for their use, continue to have the same relationship with people as time goes by. As society and people's lives change over time, the role of tools can be redefined.

Tools that we have used for a long time have their own history and development. Designs that make use of those elements bring familiarity and freshness to our daily lives that cannot be found in the creation of new tools, as well as a deeper story behind the tools.

The result of such redefinition sometimes contributes to preserving our humanity and has the power to move society in a positive direction. The universality that comes from utilizing the assumptions of the tool and the creativity that comes from overturning those assumptions seem to be the source of such power.

The theme of this year is pencils.

The pencil is a writing instrument that is strongly recommended for use in elementary education. However, the number of people who use pencils after secondary education has been decreasing, and few adults use pencils on a daily basis. It is interesting to consider the relationship between pencils and people, both why they are recommended in primary education and why they are no longer used later in life.

Also, the way the shape of the pencil changes as it is used, gradually becoming smaller and smaller in size, is very unusual for a tool.

By focusing on the pencil from the perspective of the relationship, I believe that I can hand over my research methods to my students through the creation of perspectives that have not been the subject of my contemplation until now through exploration with them.

What is it that we should cherish in our lives today? What is needed in the tools we use in our daily lives to achieve this? We hope that this exhibition will provide you with an opportunity to think about these questions.

Takaaki Oe