Glass Tea House - KOU-AN facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glass Tea House - KOU-AN |
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| Artist | Tokujin Yoshioka |
| Year | 2011- |
| Medium | Glass and stainless steel |
The Glass Tea House - KOU-AN is a special chashitsu (say: cha-SHEET-soo), which is a traditional Japanese teahouse. It was designed by the famous Japanese artist and designer Tokujin Yoshioka.
This unique teahouse was first shown in 2011 at the 54th La Biennale di Venezia. This is a big art show held in Venice, Italy, every two years. Since 2015, the teahouse has been traveling around Japan. It started at the Tendai Sect Shōren-in temple in Kyoto. Now, you can see it at the National Art Center, Tokyo.
Contents
About the Glass Tea House
The Glass Tea House - KOU-AN is a modern take on an old Japanese tradition. It helps us think about Japanese culture in a new way. This teahouse is made completely of glass.
Unlike traditional teahouses, it doesn't have common decorations. You won't see traditional scrolls called Kakemono or Japanese flower arrangements called Ikebana. Instead, the glass itself creates amazing effects.
When sunlight shines through the glass, it looks like a sparkling water surface. Light also passes through a special crystal sculpture. This makes a beautiful rainbow of colors, like "flowers made of light."
Because it's made of glass, the teahouse changes with its surroundings. It looks different depending on the light and weather. Traditional Japanese teahouses are often small and enclosed. But the Glass Tea House - KOU-AN feels open and connected to the world outside.
Where It Has Been Shown
The Glass Tea House - KOU-AN has traveled to several important places.
Venice, Italy (2011)
The design for the Glass Tea House - KOU-AN was first shown at the Glasstress 2011 event. This event was part of the 54th La Biennale di Venezia in Venice, Italy. It was a big moment for the teahouse's debut.
Kyoto, Japan (2015 – 2017)
From 2015 to 2017, the teahouse was shown at the Shogunzuka Seiryu-den stage. This is part of the Tendai Sect Shōren-in temple in Kyoto.
Shogunzuka is on top of Mt. Higashiyama. From its deck, you can see amazing views of Kyoto. In the year 794, Emperor Kanmu visited this spot. He was looking for a place to build a new capital city. He chose Kyoto and built Heian Kyo, a city where Japanese culture and art grew beautifully.
Saga, Japan (2018 – 2019)
The teahouse was displayed at The Saga Prefectural Art Museum. This museum is in Saga, Japan.
The teahouse was set up inside a bright, white exhibition space. Other famous artworks by Yoshioka were also there. These included Water Block, a glass bench that is always shown at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Also, his Waterfall glass table was on display. Saga is Tokujin Yoshioka's hometown.
Tokyo, Japan (2019 – 2022)
From 2019 to 2022, the Glass Tea House - KOU-AN was shown at The National Art Center, Tokyo.
This art center opened in 2007. It is known for its beautiful wavy glass wall. This wall was designed by the architect Kisho Kurokawa. The Glass Tea House - KOU-AN is shown at the main entrance of the art center. Yoshioka's Water Block glass bench is also displayed there.
Publication
A book about the teahouse was published:
- TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA KOU-AN Glass Tea House, Kyuryudo, 2017
