Wall Covering and Beyond
Rediscovering the richness of Japan’s wallcovering culture and envisioning its future
In collaboration with we+, Sangetsu—a developer and provider of interior products—hosted the exhibition Wall Covering and Beyond as part of a research project that reinterprets wallcoverings through the lenses of design and culture.
Project Details
- Year
- 2026
- Client
- Sangetsu
- Category
- Venue
-
- 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT GALLERY 3
- Photo
-
- Takehiro Hiramatsu
- Masaaki Inoue
Exhibition
Uncovering the essence of the culture of “decorating walls”
Wallpaper—subtle yet rich in texture and highly versatile—has become an essential element in Japanese living environments. Shaped by a humid climate, evolving housing styles, and ongoing exchange with other cultures, wallcoverings in Japan have developed along a distinct path. Today, they play a wide range of roles within everyday life as an indispensable interior material. Over the years, Sangetsu has produced tens of thousands of wallcoverings, building an extensive archive that reflects refined techniques, cultivated aesthetics, and diverse possibilities for spatial expression. This exhibition draws on that archive to explore the cultural essence of “decorating walls.”
Wallcoverings are reexamined through five material perspectives—stone, earth, wood, paper, and textile—each of which has historically shaped interior walls. For instance, earth has been used as a wall material since ancient times. Techniques of layering and finishing eventually evolved into plastering, and through continuous material innovation, these practices have led to modern wallpaper. Materials such as brick and tile, primarily made from clay, have also been widely used as traditional wall finishes. More recently, advances in embossing and printing technologies using PVC have enabled the reproduction of these textures in wallpaper form. By tracing the evolution of materials and techniques, along with the diverse aesthetic sensibilities embedded within them, the exhibition reveals the depth of Japan’s wallcovering culture and offers a perspective on its future.
