Inspired shapes : contemporary designs for Japan's ancient crafts

INSPIRED SHAPES is a unique, high-quality design book with a focus on a highly selective number of works by the most impressive artists and craftsmen presently working in Japan - both household names and relative unknowns.

The criteria for their selection is that they have welcomed the challenge of bringing new ideas and ways of thinking into a harmonious relationship with tradition, combining the best of the past with the needs of modern lifestyles.

Each CATEGORY opens with text focusing on that material and its relationship with Japanese tradition.

Each WORK is described and explained, often in the words of the artist.

Each is shown in its entirety for descriptive purposes.

Each also features a full-page, powerful artistic photograph of what the author, in consultation with the artist, has decided is the most attractive and/or important feature of the work.