In craft, the greatest challenge is not mastering a skill. It is passing it on. Techniques refined over decades live in the hands of artisans, in gestures repeated thousands of times, and in a deep instinct for material. Without opportunities to share that knowledge, even the most extraordinary traditions risk fading.
For Mazda, this question resonates deeply. The brand’s design philosophy is shaped by Takumi craftsmanship: a culture where mastery grows through patience, repetition and a deep respect for material. Supporting the Homo Faber Fellowship reflects this belief: that craft knowledge must not only be preserved but continually renewed.
Developed by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, the Homo Faber Fellowship brings together master artisans and emerging talents from around the world to collaborate for seven months, culminating in the creation of a co-designed work to be presented at Milan Design Week.
For the current edition, Mazda supports two master–fellow duos whose journeys unfold across Europe.
Two Crafts, One Call
In Marseille, silk lies folded across a long worktable as Harumi Sugiura and Marcella Giannini begin their collaboration.
Harumi, a master artisan specialising in textile pleating and natural dyeing, has spent years refining the delicate relationship between fabric, structure and colour. Marcella arrives with a different creative background shaped by fine arts, printmaking and handmade paper, and informed by her Italian and Colombian heritage.
Across the continent in London, in a studio filled with sculptural paper forms, Kuniko Maeda welcomes Momoka Ienaga, whose craft lies in the intricate discipline of kaga embroidery, a traditional Japanese technique known for its precision and patience.
For both duos, the Fellowship means stepping beyond familiar routines and learning to work within someone else’s creative rhythm.
As Kuniko Maeda explains:
“For me, craftsmanship is a mindset as much as a skill. It means dedicating your life to refining your relationship with the material again and again.”
The Challenge of Collaboration
The Fellowship is not simply about passing knowledge from master to fellow. It is about creating something new together. And different generations approach materials in different ways. The master carries decades of instinct and experience; the fellow arrives with curiosity, experimentation and fresh perspectives.
Finding a shared language can take time.
“Working with someone from a different background forces you to question your own habits,” says Momoka Ienaga. “At first it can feel uncomfortable, but that is exactly where learning happens.”
Yet this moment of uncertainty is also where creativity begins.
For Mazda, this process feels familiar. The company’s designers and engineers follow a similar philosophy: refining ideas through dialogue, experimentation and a deep understanding of material and form.
When Tradition Evolves
Gradually, the collaborations begin to take shape. In Marseille, Harumi and Marcella develop Resonances, a suspended textile installation made from pleated ramie panels hand-printed with natural indigo and weld pigments. Through katazome stencil printing and triangular pleating, the fabric transforms into a three-dimensional surface that shifts with light and movement.
In London, Kuniko and Momoka merge paper, thread and shadow into sculptural compositions crafted from kakishibu-dyed paper, stitched textiles and laser-cut elements. Their works explore how organic structures and natural forms can be translated into restrained, light-responsive objects.
“It’s not just about passing skills. We are sharing ideas and creating something new — something we couldn’t have imagined alone.”
-Kuniko Maeda
Craft Journeys: Following the Process
To bring audiences closer to this creative adventure, Mazda launched Craft Journeys, a YouTube series documenting the Fellowship collaborations from inside the ateliers. The series reveals the quieter moments of craft: the repetition, the hesitation, and the gradual discovery of a shared direction.
Craft Passed Forward
The journey will culminate at Milan Design Week, where the co-created works will be unveiled. Yet the most meaningful outcome of the Fellowship lies beyond the final objects. It is found in the exchange of knowledge between generations.
“The quiet confidence of these two duos, shaped by Japanese heritage, lives in every gesture — an expression of mastery, mentorship and living tradition. Beyond their technical excellence, the mindset behind their craft strongly resonates with Mazda’s own Takumi philosophy.” Says Katarina Loksa, Head of Brand at Mazda Motor Europe.
By supporting the Fellowship, Mazda helps ensure that craft remains a living discipline. One that continues to evolve through curiosity, mentorship and collaboration.
