29 September–10 October 2026: Discover 12 Japanese and Singaporean artisans at the free Woven Memory of Culture exhibition.
Woven Memory of Culture brings the people safeguarding traditional crafts into focus through portraiture, documentary footage and objects shaped by generations of knowledge.
Created by Japanese artist and heritage cultural storyteller Tsuyumi Miwa, the free exhibition presents 12 cultural practitioners—six from Japan and six from Singapore—at the Japan Creative Centre.
It forms part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan.
Image credit: Japan Creative Centre
Twelve cultural lives from Singapore and Japan
The exhibition features portraits of six Japanese and six Singaporean artisans and cultural practitioners whose work helps preserve traditional knowledge.
The paintings are accompanied by selected craft objects, artisan voices, documentary footage and QR-linked stories that offer additional insight into their techniques, experiences and relationships with their respective traditions.
Rather than treating heritage as something static or confined to museums, the exhibition examines how skills and memories continue through the people practising, adapting and teaching them.
Portraits shaped by time, memory and conversation
Singapore-based artist Tsuyumi Miwa explores human presence, memory and the stories held within everyday gestures.
Her portraits emerge from time spent observing and speaking with their subjects, allowing the personalities and lived experiences behind each craft to become part of the finished work.
This emphasis on the practitioners themselves gives visitors an opportunity to encounter heritage through individual lives rather than objects alone.
Public artisan talk and wagasa demonstration on 3 October
A public special programme will take place on Saturday, 3 October 2026, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm, with registration beginning at 1pm.
Japanese artisan Tsuyoshi Isogai will speak about Bekko craftsmanship, while Kengo Maeda will conduct a live demonstration showing how the bamboo frame of a traditional Japanese wagasa umbrella is constructed.
The programme will also feature an artisan dialogue with Isogai, Maeda and Singapore tea master Kenry Peh, moderated by Professor Kaori Fushiki of Taisho University.
Visitors can also experience Nanyang tea presented by Singapore heritage tea merchant Pek Sin Choon. Places may be limited, so advance registration through the official event page is recommended.
The opening reception is separate from the public programme
The exhibition opens on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. Its opening reception is an invitation-only event and should not be confused with the public artisan talk and demonstration on 3 October.
Members of the public can visit the exhibition during its regular opening hours from 10am to 6pm, excluding Sundays and Mondays.
Our Take
Woven Memory of Culture is especially appealing because it turns attention towards the people who keep cultural traditions alive.
The combination of portraiture, physical craft objects and recorded stories should make the exhibition accessible even to visitors without an existing knowledge of Japanese or Singaporean craft traditions.
Its free admission and central location also make it an easy cultural stop near Orchard Road.
EP Tip: Visit on 3 October if you would like to meet the artisans and watch the live wagasa-frame demonstration. For a quieter viewing experience, choose another weekday and remember that the gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Service Information
- Exhibition dates: 29 September–10 October 2026
- Opening hours: 10am–6pm
- Closed: Sundays and Mondays
- Venue: Japan Creative Centre
- Address: 4 Nassim Road, Singapore 258372
- Admission: Free
- Public artisan programme: Saturday, 3 October 2026, 1.30pm–3.30pm
- Programme registration: From 1pm
- Opening reception: Tuesday, 29 September; invitation only
- Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT
More Information
WOVEN MEMORY OF CULTURE AT JAPAN CREATIVE CENTRE
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