A unique opportunity to acquire a rare masterpiece chair. The Pierre Jeanneret chair exhibition opens today.

photo by Martien Mulder

A masterpiece chair is one of the legacies that mankind must leave behind for future generations. A unique exhibition will be opened to showcase Pierre Jeanneret's chairs, which are counted as one of the masterpieces, in person.

The series of furniture designed by Pierre Jeanneret for the architectural complex of the "Chandigarh City Project in India" that began in 1951 has attracted a great deal of attention around the world in recent years. At that time, it is said that Pierre Jeanneret used locally available materials such as teak and rattan, while adopting traditional Indian handcraft techniques, so that his designs could be produced by many local people rather than by a single manufacturer.

In 2015, the Indian workshop Phantom Hands launched a project to reproduce furniture from Chandigarh in order to properly carry on the first Indian modern design left by Pierre Jeanneret and to connect the traditional Indian craft to the future. Following the original surviving drawings, the furniture is made by reusing old teak wood and every step is made by hand by craftsmen in a manner as close as possible to that of the time.

The exhibition, in which the chairs will be displayed, sold, and ordered, will be held at the IMA concept store in Roppongi from November 29 (Fri.) through December 8 (Sun.).

The exhibition is organized by interior stylist Masato Kawai, who combines contemporary artists' crafts, photographs, vintage furniture, and folk art in a spatial composition. Through a timeless exhibition based on the themes of "design" and "craftsmanship," the exhibition presents Pierre Jeanneret's works revived by the handiwork of Phantom Hands.

During the exhibition, Phantom Hands furniture will be on sale and available for order, as well as a photo book by New York-based photographer Martien Mulder of the Phantom Hands workshop, handicrafts by contemporary artists used in the styling, and vintage items for purchase.

The opening reception (from 6:00 p.m.) and talk event (from 7:00 p.m.) with Deepak Srinath of Phantom Hands will be held today, November 29 (Friday), the first day of the exhibition. Everyone is welcome to attend from the reception, which is free admission.

Project Chandigarh" is not a reissue of a so-called industrial product, but a reproduction project based on the same Indian handcraftsmanship as at that time. We invite you to experience this great masterpiece with your own eyes and ears.