Art Future Forum
Opening Questions, Not Providing Answers.
Art Future Forum began in 2024 as a collaborative initiative with Bunkitsu Roppongi.
Through conversations with artists—and by listening to the challenges, uncertainties, and aspirations of emerging creators—we found ourselves returning to a fundamental question:
What does it mean to live through art today?
Art Future Forum is an open platform for dialogue where artists, audiences, and cultural practitioners come together to exchange ideas.
Rather than focusing solely on lectures, each session encourages active participation. Conversations cross generations and disciplines, exploring the realities of building a life in the arts while inviting everyone in the room to contribute their own perspectives.
Although we call it a "forum," no special knowledge or preparation is required. Everyone is welcome to participate from their own experiences, interests, and point of view.
Event Information
Held regularly at Bunkitsu Roppongi and other venues across Tokyo.
Please visit the Information page for the latest schedule and venue details.
Program Highlights
Each forum brings together guests from a wide range of creative fields—including sculptors, calligraphers, illustrators, curators, and many others.
Rather than one-way presentations, the sessions are designed as interactive conversations where participants become part of the discussion.
The topics extend far beyond artistic techniques or professional success.
They explore uncertainty, creative struggles, financial realities, relationships with family, and the everyday challenges of pursuing a life in the arts.
Through these conversations, we seek to deepen our understanding of the relationship between artistic expression and society.
For us, Art Future Forum is an initiative that reimagines culture—not simply as something to be appreciated, but as a catalyst for reflecting on how we choose to live.
It is an experimental space connecting emerging creators with society, a hub where artists from different disciplines encounter one another, and an invitation to bring art from the realm of the extraordinary into everyday thought.
We believe that the true value of art lies not only in the work itself, but also in the ideas, questions, and philosophies that shape the people who create it.
Archive
Explore past editions and conversations from Art Future Forum.
Art Future Forum 2026
Special Edition
ERIKO × Maki Kanai
Travel, Live, and Tell Stories
A Dialogue on Travel and Creative Expression
Travel writer ERIKO and illustrator Maki Kanai share stories from their journeys around the world, reflecting on travel, everyday life, and the many ways we communicate experiences through creative expression.
Art Future Forum 2026
Session 4
What Is Craft?
Featuring Hisaya Tsukiji (Urushi Artist), Keiko Sano (AXIS Gallery), and Makoto Washizu (4D).
This conversation explores the meaning of craft today, examining the boundary between objects made to be used and those made to be viewed, while considering new possibilities for contemporary craftsmanship.
Art Future Forum 2026
Session 5
Crafting a Beautiful Life
The Beauty of Ceramics and Bamboo Craft
Featuring ceramic artist Norikatsu Sato and bamboo artist Toshie Oki.
Together, they discuss the enduring appeal of handmade craft, the philosophy behind their creative practice, and how craftsmanship enriches everyday life.