お盆休みは妻のNaokoのおばあちゃんの住む小豆島に毎年行きます。
そして、小豆島町にあるフォレスト酒蔵森國ギャラリーへお茶をしに行って来ました。
森國酒造は小豆島で唯一の酒造で、Umie、 ドラゴンファクトリーのプロデュースのもと、最近ギャラリー兼カフェをオープンした注目スポットらしく、行きたいなぁと思っていました。
ラッキーなことにNaokoのおじいちゃんの家の近所。
ギャラリーは小民家風で落ち着ける感じで、いい感じ。気に入りました。
2階も見れるらしく、上がっていくとそこには可愛いバッグと妖怪の絵が！
バッグは小豆島出身のYuccoさんのブランドThingsのもの。
お盆の間のみの特別展『心具素ワゴコロ展其の弐』をされていました。
ThingsのバッグはNaokoが前に新聞で読んで、気になっていたのに、展示会を見逃してしまったブランドでした。
ホームページまでチェックしてたNaokoはすぐに分かったらしい。
皮を使用した、ハンドメイドの素敵なバッグ。
デザインがおもしろい。クオリティも凄い！
Yuccoさんは小豆島の土庄町にアトリエがあるそうです。
また高松市にあるQuench Cafeで展示会をするらしいので、見逃せません。
Naokoはお金持ちになったらThingsのバッグをいっぱい買いたいと妄想していました･･･。

Every year over the Obon holiday we visit Naoko’s relatives on the beautiful Shodo island. This time while we were there we decided to go for coffee at the newly opened Forest Sakegura Morikuni Gallery.

Morikuni is famous as the sole sake maker on Shodo island, and recently one of their old out-buildings was converted into a gallery/cafe designed by Takamatsu-based Umie and Dragon Factory. We had been curious to visit Morikuni since it opened and luckily it is within walking distance of Naoko’s grandparents’ place.

The whole building has the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional Japanese house. On the second floor there is a small gallery space and when we climbed the stairs we were greeted by a range of handmade crafts and bags, and also paintings of monsters - so something to satisfy both of our tastes.

The bags were made by Shodo artist Yucco under her “Things” label. The display was part of a special exhibition that was only running during the Obon period. Naoko had previously read about the “Things” bags in the paper, and was keen to see them for herself, but unfortunately had missed Yucco’s previous exhibition. Having seen pictures of the bags on Yucco’s homepage she soon recognized the display at Morikuni.

Yucco’s bags are all handmade from leather and other materials, with great attention to detail and are of a very high quality. Yucco herself was there and she told us that she now has her own workshop in Tonosho on Shodo. She is planning to have another exhibition soon at Quench Cafe in Takamatsu, which is right near our house so we have no excuse to miss it this time. Naoko says that if we ever come into any money she intends to purchase a whole set of “Things” bags…