Inami Woodcarving Talk + Demo with Master Carver Nambu Hakuun

Join us for a special afternoon celebrating one of Japan’s most intricate and enduring craft traditions: Inami woodcarving. Nambu Hakuun, one of Inami's foremost master carvers, will introduce audiences to this 250-year-old art form through a lecture, a live demonstration of the carving process, and an interactive Q&A.

Originating in Toyama Prefecture, Inami woodcarving (井波彫刻) developed in the Edo period during the restoration of the local Zuisen-ji Temple and flourished alongside temple carpentry and the tradition of ranma (transom) carving. Distinguished by its extraordinary depth and precision, this tradition has endured despite the pervasive effects of global modernization. Today, Inami’s artisans apply their skills, honed through a rigorous five-year apprenticeship system, to classical temple work and traditional and contemporary commissions.

During this program, Nambu Hakuun will share insights into the history of the craft and his own workshop’s legacy, as well as highlight major works he has created throughout Japan. He will then guide the audience through each stage of the carving process, from sketching on washi paper to rough and fine carving. In addition, he will present and discuss his newly created woodcarving “Bridge Between Japan and the U.S.”, a work that intertwines Japanese and American motifs as a gesture of cultural exchange.

The event will close with an open Q&A, inviting attendees to engage directly with the artist and reflect on the continuing vitality of this living tradition.

This talk and demonstration follows a November 14 event presented by Princeton University that will include a screening of a documentary on Inami woodcarving, a talk by representatives from the Toyama Governor’s Office, and a live woodcarving demonstration. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4otGpXK

This event is held in partnership with Poiesis, an organization dedicated to preserving and revitalizing traditional handcrafted decorative arts. Its current work centers on Inami woodcarving, a 250+ year-old Japanese craft tradition from Toyama Prefecture. Partnering directly with the Inami Woodcarving Cooperative, Poiesis works to bring this endangered decorative art to global audiences through historical documentation, event planning, community development, and woodcarving commissions that support master craftsmen and sustain apprenticeships for future generations.

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Host or Publisher Arts Council of Princeton