Through its partnership with the Homo Faber Fellowship, Mazda supports two master–fellow duos, reflecting its long-standing commitment to Takumi craftsmanship and the transmission of artisanal knowledge.
With Craft Journeys, Mazda launches as YouTube series exploring contemporary craftsmanship through the lenses of master–fellow collaboration, opening with the dialogue between Kuniko Maeda and her fellow Momoka Ienaga. The co-created works developed through the Fellowship will be presented during Milan Design Week 2026 (21–26 April) at Casa degli Artisti.
The Craft Journeys YouTube series explores contemporary craftsmanship through the deeply human bond between master and fellow. The series accompanies Mazda’s ongoing support of the Homo Faber Fellowship, a seven-month international programme developed by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship that pairs established master artisans with emerging talents.
Reinforcing the brand’s commitment to nurturing Japanese craftsmanship on an international stage, Mazda has been appointed Country Sponsor for Japan for the 2025/26 edition of the Homo Faber Fellowship. In this role, Mazda proudly sponsors two master-fellow duos: textile pleating master Harumi Sugiura with Marcella Giannini, and Japanese paper sculptor Kuniko Maeda with Momoka Ienaga, recognising their dedication to Japanese artisanal traditions and the transmission of craft knowledge.
Through Craft Journeys, Mazda offers an intimate look at how knowledge, technique and mindset are passed on, challenged and reinterpreted across generations and cultures, themes that strongly reflect Mazda’s own Takumi philosophy: a master craftsperson’s lifelong devotion to perfection, and the brand’s approach to design.
Episode one takes viewers to London, following the collaborative creative process of paper sculptor Kuniko Maeda and her fellow Momoka Ienaga, trained in traditional Japanese kaga embroidery. Coming from different generations and backgrounds, the duo brings together paper, thread and form, blending age-old Japanese techniques such as kakishibu dyeing with contemporary sculptural expression.
Rather than presenting craft as a finished object, the episode focuses on the process itself: learning to work together, navigating different instincts, and finding a shared rhythm between experience and ambition. Viewers witness how the Takumi mindset goes beyond technical mastery – embracing patience, openness and sincerity towards material, gesture and collaboration.
As Kuniko Maeda reflects in the film: “It’s not just about passing skills. We are sharing ideas and creating something new. Something we couldn’t have imagined alone.”
Across all episodes, Craft Journeys positions craftsmanship as a living exchange defined by time, material, human connection and mutual transformation, principles embedded in Mazda’s design approach.
From Film to Exhibition: Milan Design Week 2026
The works created during the Homo Faber Fellowship will be presented to the public in Today’s Masters Meet Tomorrow’s Talents, the final exhibition of the programme’s third edition, taking place from 21 to 26 April 2026 at Casa degli Artisti during Milan Design Week.
The exhibition brings together the 22 master–fellow duos from 17 nationalities, working across 18 crafts in seven European countries. Each piece is the result of six months of working side by side, following an intensive masterclass programme held in Seville, Spain.
Commenting on Mazda’s involvement, Katarina Loksa, Head of Brand at Mazda Motor Europe, said: “It was a privilege and truly inspiring to meet these two master–fellow artisan duos and see their work firsthand. Their quiet confidence, shaped by Japanese heritage, lives in every gesture — an expression of mastery, mentorship, and living tradition. Not only their technical excellence, but also the mindset behind it, is deeply aligned with Mazda’s own Takumi philosophy”
Further episodes of Craft Journeys will be released on Mazda’s YouTube channels, leading up to the Milan exhibition.
Craft Journeys – Episode 1 available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krZ7gD_gd1E
Exhibition: Today’s Masters Meet Tomorrow’s Talents Casa degli Artisti, Milan 21–26 April 2026 (Milan Design Week)
Editor’s Notes
The Homo Faber Fellowship is a 7-month sponsored professional integration programme designed for duos of master artisans and craft graduates, proposed by Homo Faber NextGen. The third edition begins for the fellows in September 2025 with a one-month creative and entrepreneurial masterclass taught by ESSEC Business School and Passa Ao Futuro. The participating fellows will then spend six months in the workshops of their paired masterartisans across Europe. During these months spent in the workshop together, the 22 duos will be challenged to design and handcraft a co-creation inspired by a theme chosen by the programme’s supporting partner Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Fellowship is developed in partnership with local members of the Foundation’s network.
Mazda supports two master–fellow duos within the Homo Faber Fellowship. https://www.homofaber.com/
The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is a non-profit institution based in Geneva, which champions contemporary craftspeople worldwide with the aim of promoting a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The Foundation seeks to highlight the connections between craft and the wider arts and the design world. Its mission is to both celebrate and preserve craftsmanship and its diversity of makers, materials and techniques, by increasing craft’s everyday recognition and its viability as a professional path for future generations. The Foundation presents Homo Faber, a cultural movement centred on creative artisans worldwide. Its signature projects comprise: Homo Faber NextGen, a suite of education programmes for the next generations of artisans; Homo Faber Guide, an online platform showcasing artisans around the world; Homo Faber Finds, which identifies craft excellence and proposes imaginative ideas to inspire collaborations, private commissions and acquisitions; and a yearly programme of physical events including flagship celebration Homo Faber Biennial and curated exhibition series Homo Faber Capsule. https://www.michelangelofoundation.org/
