哲学
Beauty of Use (Mingei concept)
Japanese: 用の美
A core concept of the Mingei Movement led by Yanagi Muneyoshi. The beauty inherent in everyday objects and the beauty inherent in the craftsmanship of artisans. One of the sources of the philosophy of glass craftsmanship that underlies Reiko Chikaoka’s creative approach.
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The “Beauty of Use” is a central concept of the Folk Craft Movement advocated by Muneyoshi Yanagi (1889–1961). Based on the idea that “nature and beauty reside in tools and vessels suited to their purpose,” this philosophy emphasizes the beauty that arises from their use as everyday objects, rather than highlighting the artist’s creative intent or individuality. “Folk crafts,” “crafts,” and “the beauty of use” and “the work of anonymous artisans” form the core of the Folk Craft Movement. This perspective on craft underlies Rei Chikaoka’s (a graduate of the Department of Crafts and Industrial Design, Glass Specialization, at Musashino Art University) creative philosophy, leading to her approach of using glass as a “medium for expression” while consistently maintaining a craft-oriented mindset.
The point of intersection between functional beauty and kiln work lies in the fact that “the artist cannot directly control what happens inside the kiln.” In kiln work, while the artist designs the process—including the firing program, molds, and arrangement of materials—the final determination of the actual form is left to the physical and chemical phenomena occurring inside the kiln.
Related Concepts
両義性（ambivalence）・工芸（kogei）・キルンワーク（kiln-work）・軌跡言語（trajectory-language）・η-T-tフレームワーク（eta-t-t-framework）
This entry is written in Japanese by Rei Chikaoka and translated for readers outside Japan. If something reads oddly, the original is the source of truth.