Who We Are
Poiesis is a movement dedicated to reinviting beauty through
the world’s most profound aesthetic traditions.
We work to preserve and revitalize the traditional handcrafted
decorative arts by bridging master craftsmen to international
markets and ensuring these traditions continue to thrive.
Our Story
Poiesis began as a reflection on the fragile state of the
world’s cultural heritage, the aesthetic traditions that
once shaped entire civilizations.
Standing before the world’s great heritage sites, we often
feel a distance between the beauty we witness and the hands
that once created it.
Our discovery of Inami woodcarving in Japan’s Toyama
Prefecture transformed that reflection into a mission:
to preserve, celebrate, and reinvigorate the remnants of the
world’s traditional decorative arts.
Our Practices
Poiesis works to fulfil its mission in various ways:
Historical Documentation
Through photography, film,writing, and cataloging historical artifacts,we record and archive endangered crafts, preserving their knowledge and technique for future generations, and creating the foundation for a future scholarly ecosystem.
Event Planning
We collaborate with cultural institutions to organize exhibitions, lectures, and live demonstrations that educate audiences about these cultural heritages.
Commissions & Masterworks
We connect global patrons with Inami’s master craftsmen for bespoke commissions, whether for interiors, architecture, or cultural spaces, and offer select masterworks available for acquisition. Each project is priced to compensate the craftsman and include Poiesis’ percentage, which supports the venture and the team behind it.
Community Development
Each project sustains livelihoods, nurtures apprenticeships, and keeps these crafts alive as living, evolving art.
Our Vision
Our work begins in Inami, but it reaches far beyond. Poiesis is building a living archive of the world’s endangered decorative arts, ensuring these traditions are not only preserved but brought into contemporary life. Our initiatives will continue to grow with time, guided by the needs of the crafts, the communities that sustain them, and the spaces that welcome them.
Our vision is simple: to restore what was once inseparable, craft, culture, and the human experience of beauty, and to help guide a return to spaces imbued with meaning.