From Strand to Sculpture

Contemporary Japanese Basketry

June 6 – September 20, 2026

From Strand to Sculpture: Contemporary Japanese Basketry, an exhibition of bamboo art crafted by highly skilled and specialized Japanese artists, featuring pieces on loan from the collections of Carl and Marilynn Thoma and the Thoma Foundation in Dallas, Texas. The exhibition was originally on view within the historic interiors of Greene and Greene’s 1908 masterwork of the Arts and Crafts movement, the Gamble House.

A great variety of works are on display, from precise and contained vessels to dramatic sculptural forms that show the expressive power of bamboo. Twenty-three works by 17 artists have been selected. Four of the artists have family relations. The largest and smallest works are by a grandfather and grandson: Tanabe Chikuunsai II created the small work entitled Hill in 1976, while his grandson Tanabe Chikuunsai IV created the very large work entitled Godai in 2019. Another two are by a father and son: Earth (2002) by Monden Kogyoku and Wave’s Spirit (2009) by Monden Yuichi.

All the pieces in the exhibition have been chosen with the theme of the elements (as expressed in the form of the pieces, and so named by the artists), echoing the importance of nature as a theme in the work of Greene and Greene, exemplified by the design of the Gambles’ home and its use of materials and motifs at this high point in the Greenes’ careers. The elements are conceived in Japanese Buddhism to comprise earth, water, fire, wind, and the void of space.

The Gamble House is a natural venue for the display of many types of Japanese art due to the inspiration that Charles and Henry Greene drew from the arts and architecture of Japan. Charles Greene, in particular, felt this connection deeply in his artistic and spiritual life over many decades. They shared this interest in Asia with their clients David and Mary Gamble of Cincinnati, Ohio. With the house under construction in 1908, the traveled with two teenaged sons to Japan, China, and Korea over a period of five months. The family returned with a much richer understanding of the Japanese elements that Greene & Greene had drawn from in their design, and which gave the firm’s work such distinct character on the American scene at the time. They had also discovered a passion for collecting Asian art, particularly ceramics and metalwork, many examples of which are still with the house today.

The Gamble House and the art form of Japanese bamboo basketry share common themes: both represent a compelling intersection of art and craft, and of function and sculpture. In contrast to a conventional gallery setting, the Gamble House provides an intriguing environment for the display of works of bamboo art with the richness of its wood surfaces, enveloping spaces, and gently glowing light. These interplays between the house and the works are meant to enrich the experience of seeing both.

As with the builders and makers of the Gamble House and its furniture, glasswork, masonry, etc., the relationship between the material and the artist is a significant part of the story of Japanese bamboo art. A look at the pieces on display makes it clear that many years of dedication are needed to develop the kind of mastery and depth of understanding that these artists have of the medium of bamboo. There are only about 200 artists in Japan working in split bamboo basketry, which shows the rarity of this level of dedication and expertise. Familial and intergenerational ties, integration with the world of contemporary art, and even the increased interest of Western collectors have all allowed the medium to continue to grow and thrive into the 21st century. The Gamble House is pleased to bring this extraordinary artistry, and the craft tradition that it grew from, to one of the country’s most prominent Arts and Crafts residences.

Generous support for this exhibition came from the Thoma Foundation and the Helen Jones Foundation Endowment for the Dr. Robert Neff and Louise Willson Arnold Collection.