ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Mazda launches Craft Journeys, a new series of YouTube content produced by Mazda that explores contemporary craftsmanship through the profoundly human relationship between master and apprentice-boarder. The series accompanies Mazda’s continued support for Homo Faber Fellowship, a seven-month international program supported by scholarships developed by Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship that combines master craftsmen with emerging talents.
Recognising their dedication to Japanese artisan traditions and to the transmission of artisan knowledge, Mazda is proud to sponsor two of the participating couples: the textile psyche teacher Harumi Sugiura with Marcella Giannini and the Japanese sculptor Kuniko Maeda with Momoka Ienaga.
Through Craft Journeys, Mazda offers a deep insight into how knowledge, technique and mentality are transmitted, challenged and reinterpreted through generations and cultures, themes that strongly echo the philosophy and approach to design Takumi of Mazda itself. The first episode of Craft Journeys is now available on Mazda’s official YouTube channels and marks the beginning of a series. Each film offers a close and personal perspective on the creative journey behind craftsmanship: from the first uncertain steps to the moments of tension, trust and shared discovery.
The first episode brings the aspirants to London, following the collaborative creative process of the paper sculptor Kuniko Maeda and his colleague Momoka Ienaga, trained at the traditional Japanese kaga embroidery. Coming from different generations and backgrounds, the couple combines paper, thread and shape, merging the ancient Japanese techniques such as the kakishibu dye with contemporary sculptural expression.
Rather than presenting craftsmanship as a finished object, the episode focuses on the process itself: learning to work together, navigating between different instincts and finding a shared rhythm between experience and ambition. The viewers are witnesses of how the Takumi mentality goes beyond technical mastery, embracing patience, mental openness and sincerity towards materials, gestures and collaboration.
How Maeda reflects in the film: “It’s not just about transmitting skills. We’re sharing ideas and creating something new. Something we could not have imagined alone.” In all episodes, Craft Journeys presents craftsmanship as a living exchange defined by time, materials, human connection and mutual transformation, principles rooted in Mazda’s design approach.
The works realized during the Homo Faber Fellowship will be presented to the public in Today’s Masters meet the talents of tomorrow, the final exhibition of the third edition of the program, which will be held from 21 to 26 April 2026 at the Casa degli Artisti during the Week of Design in Milan. The exhibition brings together 22 master-student pairs of 17 nationalities, working in 18 different crafts in seven European countries. Each piece is the result of six months of work side by side, after an intense masterclass program held in Seville, Spain.
“It was a privilege and a true inspiration to meet this master-training craft couple and see their work firsthand. Their quiet safety, shaped by the Japanese tradition, lives in every gesture: an expression of mastery, mentality and living tradition. Not only their technical excellence, but also the mentality behind it, is deeply aligned with Mazda’s Takumi philosophy,” explains Katarina Loksa, Head of the Marchio in Mazda Motor Europe. Other episodes of Craft Journeys on Mazda’s YouTube channels will be published before the Milan exhibition.
photo: Mazda Motor Italia press office
(ITALPRESS).
