Japan Creative Centre (JCC), together with MUJI, are proud to present an exhibition entitled To the Forest of Verbs with "MUJI IS". The exhibition which was first held at ATELIER MUJI GINZA in Japan and later travelled across the country, will be exhibiting for the first time abroad in Singapore, at JCC.

MUJI offers an array of objects that are useful for daily living, supporting a more simple, pleasant life. For this exhibition, 15 verbs were picked, each related to MUJI's products and activities, from the book “MUJI IS” to celebrate MUJI’s 40th anniversary in 2020. We hope that you will be inspired to see how a single item can be tied to a number of verbs, or how these verbs are leading us to the beginnings of a better society. So, why don’t we walk into the forest of MUJI verbs along with this book?

We also have an exciting line-up of events online, including the opening ceremony of the exhibition, and an online talk by Ms Kazuko Koike (member of MUJI’s Advisory Board) and Ms Junko Suzuki (exhibition curator). This will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Ms Kelley Cheng, joined by Ms Kazuko Koike and Ms Junko Suzuki and local creatives Ms Wendy Chua and Ms Felicia Toh, who will share their thoughts on the influence of design on the world and how we live.

In 1980, MUJI was established in Japan as an antithesis to consumer society, where capitalism and its logic were overprioritised. Suggesting “good products” from a “no-brand” point of view, MUJI's action showing living aesthetics has grown on a global scale to achieve our concept of a “pleasant life”: now MUJI covers everything from products and ideas to people and social systems. As if MUJI was a young seedling now grown into a tree, becoming a part of the forest, and eventually of the earth itself.

MUJI began with 40 products. In 2020, in honour of MUJI’s 40th anniversary, MUJI began researching the reason behind the more than 7,000 MUJI products that have been developed over the years, creating a MUJI archive. MUJI considered a number of ways to classify the products for the archive, such as a linear timeline or by product category. In the end, MUJI decided to focus on the motives behind each product’s development, and have arranged this book accordingly.

Each item created by MUJI can be organised in terms of the verb that represents the thought process behind its creation. There is a reason behind every product that is created by MUJI, and that reason can be explained with a verb. By using verbs to express how the thoughts and ideas of the creators are transferred to the user, an overall image of MUJI would emerge. Finally, 15 representative verbs were picked for this exhibition.

引く・省く Hiku・Habuku (Subtract) / いかす Ikasu (Utilize) / 飾らない Kazaranai (Simplify) / 学ぶ Manabu (Study) / 問う Tou (Question) / 受け継ぐ Uketsugu (Inherit) / まとめる Matomeru (Bundle) / 整える Totonoeru (Organize) / 寄り添う Yorisou (Support) / 気づく Kizuku (Notice) / ゆだねる Yudaneru (Entrust) / 繰り返す Kurikaesu (Repeat) / 合わせる Awaseru (Combine) / 見立てる Mitateru (Imagine) / 試みる Kokoromiru (Experiment)

For more information, please visit: https://www.muji.com/sg/feature/mujiis/

Organiser: Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. / Co-organiser: Japan Creative Centre / Planning Collaboration: MUJI Laboratory for Living / Space Design: TORAFU ARCHITECTS Inc. / Graphic Design: Akiko Kurachi / Exhibition Production: TOKYO STUDIO CO., Ltd. / Curation: Junko Suzuki

Ms Kazuko Koike was born in Tokyo and graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences in Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Since 1970, she has produced many copywriting for Seibu Saison Group, including Parco and Seiyu. She began writing career in the 1960's as a copywriter and fashion editor. In 1975, she coordinated the “Inventive Clothes - 1909-1939” exhibition at Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art. She also founded and is the curator of SAGACHO Exhibit Space (1983-2000) Japan's first Alternative Art Space and since 2011 has led SAGACHO Archives devoted to reexamining and displaying art documents and creative works related to SAGACHO Exhibit Space. It has featured works of Shinro Ohtake, Yasumasa Morimura, Hiroshi Sugimoto within and outside Japan. Currently, she serves as one of the original creators of MUJI with Ikko Tanaka and others where she is on the advisory board since its founding in 1980.

After working for a total of about 20 years at Jiji Press, Mori Art Museum, and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Ms Junko Suzuki became an independent curator. She established a private office “@J” in 2011 as a freelancer. As a senior curator of MUJI Yurakucho store gallery space ATELIER MUJI and MUJI GINZA 6F ATELIER MUJI GINZA, which opened in April 2019, she has planned and operated more than 50 exhibitions and related events for 10 years. Currently she is engaged in curation, PR, and the launch and operation of cultural facilities in a wide range of fields, with a focus on art and design.

Is this your first time to Japan Creative Centre? Follow the map below to Japan Creative Centre now.

Getting to Japan Creative Centre
4 Nassim Road Singapore 258372
Tel: +65-6737-0434

By Public Bus:
Bus services: 7, 36, 77, 105, 106, 111, 123, 132, 174, 174E, 502, 502A, 502B (Alight in front of Delfi Orchard)
For latest information on bus routes and fares, please refer to SBS Transit.

By the MRT:
You may also take the MRT to the nearest MRT station, Orchard (NS22).
Train fares, travel times and route maps are available on the SMRT website.

Driving to JCC:
Nearest parking is at Orchard Hotel, Delfi Orchard and Orchard Rendezvous Hotel.