Chiba design exhibition explores the idea of home as both origin and destination
Design studio Akasaki & Vanhuyse has presented the Home-Home exhibition, which showcased works by 16 designers and artists in a modernist house in Chiba, Japan.
Home-Home was on display inside the 1974 Bundle Gallery house, designed by Japanese architect Ren Suzuki, who worked with architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s before returning to Japan.
It featured works by both local and international designers, some of whom were showing in the country for the first time.
"Home–Home is a self-initiated show where we invited designers connected to Japan to exhibit alongside us," Akasaki & Vanhuyse co-founder Astrid Vanhuyse told Dezeen.
"We wanted to explore the idea of home as both origin and destination, creating a dialogue between the works, the architecture and the lived experiences behind them."
The exhibition was spread across five rooms of the house, which the curators chose because of its intimate feel.
"It reflects the mix of Japanese design value and modernism we were interested in," Akasaki & Vanhuyse co-founder Kenta Akasaki told Dezeen.
"The home setting made the exhibition feel intimate and personal, rather than presenting it in a white gallery space."
Akasaki and Vanhuyse arranged the pieces around Bundle Gallery so that they would look harmonious in the space, which features striking design details, including a large hexagonal fireplace.
Among the works on show was the studio's own WA Lamp, which was made from parts of decommissioned Tokyo trains. Home-Home also featured pieces by designers including Alexandra Gerber, Kohei Kojima, Rikako Nagashima and Wade and Leta.
"The group came together organically through friendships and ongoing conversations with designers who have a connection to Japan," Vanhuysen explained.
"We selected practices across disciplines, from furniture and product to visual art and photography, and across generations, all sharing a sensitivity to context in their work."
The designs on show included lighting and furniture as well as artworks and homeware, shown alongside the existing gallery interior.
Akasaki & Vanhuyse created display spaces using aluminium pallets, which were stacked to create different forms, including a coffee table, a dining table and a cushion-topped daybed.
The concept of showing design in places like Bundle Gallery, which is rarely open to the public, has become more popular in recent years and was seen across Milan design week in 2025.
While it is still a more unusual concept in Japan, Akasaki & Vanhuyse believe that the format can create a memorable visitor experience.
"These types of shows offer a full experience for the visitors, they can enjoy the pieces and the architecture," Akasaki concluded.
"In Japan, some stores and cultural spaces have a strong authentic atmosphere, yet for design shows, it is still quite rare."
The photography is by Kohei Omachi.
Home-Home was on view at Bundle Gallery, Chiba, from 20 to 23 February 2026. For more up-to-date events in architecture and design around the world, visit Dezeen Events Guide.
Project credits:
Participants: Akasaki & Vanhuyse, Alexandra Gerber, Alexis Jamet, Manon Cezaro, CPRV, Gini Moynier, Ikoi Katono, Kohei Kojima, Kollygujer, Maha Alavi, Mari Shimazaki, Max Creasy, Miku Suzuki, Nothing Japan, Rikako Nagashima, Wade and Leta, Waiting For Ideas
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