English
CRAFT
Touma Chinen / Chinen Bingata Research Institute
At STRATA, the past, present, and future of Okinawa are depicted with a bold yet delicate sensibility, using techniques and methods such as tsutsugaki (hand-written) and oborogata (layered) stenciling. A fire broke out at Shuri Castle during production, and Shuri Castle was depicted on the "Future" panel in hopes of its reconstruction.
Guest rooms and public spaces incorporate traditional Okinawan crafts that are still passed down to this day, such as cushions and footstools made with Shuri brocade, artwork using bingata dyeing, and lampshades made from yachimun pottery, as well as Ryukyu glass and Ryukyu lacquer. Cherishing Okinawa's history, culture, and nature, the hotel is designed to evoke a sense of "Okinawanness," born from collaborations with contemporary artisans.
PROFILE
The current head (10th generation) of the Chinen family, one of the three great Bingata schools that dates back to the Ryukyu Dynasty. After gaining experience in graphic design, he studied under his grandfather, Sadao Chinen, and grandmother, Hatsuko Chinen. He officially took over the studio in 2017. His works have won numerous awards at public exhibitions both within and outside the prefecture, and in recent years he has served as a director of the Ryukyu Bingata Promotion and Preservation Consortium, actively working to collaborate with other production areas and industries.