Private Tour: Paper Clouds – Japan Pavilion at the London Design Biennale

Date
Sunday 8 June 2025
Time
(a) 10.30-11.30am
(a) 12.15-1.15pm
*Meeting time:10 mins before the start time, just outside Seamen's Hall (across the main courtyard from The Strand entrance)

Venue
Somerset House
Strand
London
WC2R 1LA

Booking Details
Free – Booking essential 

Please note this event is fully booked. Please use the form below to be added to the waiting list. 

Please note: The Japan Pavilion and any outdoor pavilions are located in public areas and are free of charge. However, the remainder of the London Design Biennale exhibition is ticketed and not included in this event. If you wish to explore the full exhibition, we recommend purchasing tickets in advance via the London Design Biennale website, where an advance booking discount of £5 is available on the full ticket price. 

The Japan Society is delighted to invite a small group of members and guests to a private guided tour of Paper Clouds: Materiality in Empty Space, presented as the Japan Pavilion at this year’s London Design Biennale at Somerset House.

Paper Clouds: Materiality in Empty Space is conceived as a Japanese poem to the Nelson Stair, celebrating the surface textures, translucency, lightness, and quiet strength of Washi paper. Led by Toshiki Hirano, Co-Director at SEKISUI HOUSE – KUMA LAB (The University of Tokyo), and curated by Clare Farrow, founder of Clare Farrow Studio, the installation is a cross-disciplinary experiment in materiality, music, and fashion, created in collaboration with violinist and composer Midori Komachi and structural engineer Yoshihiro Fukushima. At its heart is KUMA LAB’s first costume design: a recyclable Washi paper dress made for Komachi, which explores the material’s flexibility and resilience through movement and performance.

This special tour offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from Toshiki Hirano, Clare Farrow, and Midori Komachi about the inspiration behind the project, the creative and technical process, and the cultural significance of Washi. Guests will gain unique insight into the fusion of traditional Japanese craft with contemporary design, and the immersive experience shaped by architecture, sound, and performance.

Toshiki Hirano is a Tokyo-based architect and educator. He is Project Assistant Professor and Director of the International Architectural Education Platform at the University of Tokyo, where he is Co-Director of SEKISUI HOUSE – KUMA LAB, an experimental design studio founded by Kengo Kuma. Hirano holds a BA in Architecture from Kyoto University and a Master of Architecture from Princeton University, where he received the Suzanne Kolarik Underwood Prize. His work explores new aesthetics in architecture through digital technology and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Clare Farrow is a curator, writer, and founder of Clare Farrow Studio, with a background in philosophy, literature, and the arts. She specialises in curating exhibitions that bring together architecture, design, music, fashion, and storytelling. Clare has curated projects for institutions such as the V&A, Roca London and Barcelona Galleries, and the London Design Biennale. Her work often explores memory, materiality, a philosophy of Lightness, and the sensory dimensions of design. She has a special interest in Japan.

Midori Komachi is a British-Japanese violinist and composer, known for her expressive performances and innovative cross-disciplinary collaborations. She made her solo debut at the age of twelve with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and has performed internationally at venues including Tonhalle Zurich, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and Wigmore Hall. A passionate advocate for cultural exchange through music, Komachi specialises in both British and Japanese repertoire, and her work frequently explores the relationship between sound, space, and tradition.

*Images Left: © SEKISUI HOUSE - KUMA LAB

If you have any questions, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email us at events@japansociety.org.uk

In association with: London Design Biennale

Booking info

• You should receive an automated email from The Japan Society to let you know that your booking request has been registered. If you don't receive any confirmation emails, please check your spam folder or email events@japansociety.org.uk.
  
  
• We will send you the details to attend the event closer to the date.
  
  
• Please note that there will be other members of the public at the venue, and it may get busy at times. As a result, there might be occasions when it is difficult to hear.