Art that connects you to the culture and memories of the space.
Discover one of a kind artpieces inspired by elements of the machiya.

We've collaborated with five Japanese artists with deep ties to Kyoto who bring to together tradition and modernity through their own interpretation and style.
Each of their artworks embraces one of the five elements, or 'materials', of the original machiya architecture of our hotel: ceramics, glass, wood, washi paper and the machiya space itself. Brought together, these artworks capture the spirit of THE MACHIYA EBISUYA.

Ceramics
Artist : Kuriko Kinoto（木ノ戸久仁子）

Kuriko Kinoto is an artist who uses rocks, minerals and metals to create imaginative sculptures through a process she calls 'modern alchemy'.
Built using natural materials such as wood & stone, machiya townhouses continue to have a long-lasting presence in Kyoto. Inspired by this everlasting nature, Kuriko Kinoto baked stones with pastel glaze using ceramic techniques to give them a soft and fantastical quality.

Glass
Artist : HACOMIDORI x edalab.（ハコミドリ × edalab.）

This is a collaboration between HACOMIDORI and edalab., two collectives that focus on plants and flowers in their artwork.
The bringing together of various materials in machiya architecture is represented by glass and dried plants. Together, their shapes and textures embody the graceful coexistence between organic and inorganic materials. The wooden frame is made from reclaimed materials from the original machiya building.

Wood
Artist : Koyama Shiori（小山しおり）

Koyama Shiori is a Kyoto-based artist whose work centres on the concept of storytelling. For her, storeytelling is a process of inheriting the past and re-working it into its present form.
To illustrate this process, she combines materials to create hybrid pieces. In re-using wooden frames and stitching together motifs of other artworks, the past can be connected with the present, and transformed into a new state.

Washi Paper
Artist : Kami No Yohaku Project（紙ノ余白）

Washi is a traditional material in Japanese culture and history, used in art, furniture and more. Kami No Yohaku is a research and creative project that archives and promotes washi paper dyeing techniques that have been passed down since ancient times.
The four-fold folding screen that you see here is made up of various types of washi: antique dyed mulberry fibre washi paper and newly made washi paper from Shimane prefecture. The art is held together by reclaimed antique hinges from the renowned kuroya washi folding screens of Kyoto prefecture.
The decorative golden sliding doors has been imprinted with patterns from traditional Japanese sliding doors, which in addition to washi, is another important feature of machiya architecture.

Machiya
Artist : Apsu Shusei

Appreciate vibrant original artwork displayed in your Japanese-style room.
Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese culture and folklore, Apsu Shusei is a contemporary narrator and artist who specializes in geometrical shapes and intricate patterns. This collaboration with “SEKITAKU” features the lithographic technique of printing, which involves using oil and water-based dyes to create intricate patterns.
His art aims to connect the boundary between time and space to the human spirit.