• Overview

  In December 2024, at SCOPE MIAMI BEACH—one of the world’s leading international art fairs—B-OWND and TeaRoom Inc.*2 unveiled an installation work. The concept was “Prayer through a Single Bowl.” This attempt redefined the tea gathering itself as an installation, turning the tearoom, tea utensils, furnishings, and even the right to host the tea gathering into a work of art that embodies both space and experience. The challenge was highly acclaimed worldwide, and the work was sold for tens of millions of yen, marking a significant achievement.

• Project Background

  This initiative was born from the success of the art tea gathering produced at the same art fair in 2023. That tea gathering, under the theme “NEO WABI-SABI,” attracted about 800 participants over four days, often with waiting lines of 30 minutes to an hour. It was ranked No. 1 in exhibition experience among all 130 participating galleries. Building on this success, the project evolved into the artwork-ization of the tea gathering itself, as a realization of B-OWND’s philosophy. This approach moves away from the Western notion of evaluating artworks as isolated “points,” instead creating a foundation for appreciating tea culture as a “plane”—a total art that integrates architecture, tools, and multiple cultural elements.

• About the Artwork

  ・Title: “Ichinen” – The Life Force at Every Moment
  ・Artist: TeaRoom
  ・Year: 2024
  ・Concept: “Prayer through a Single Bowl.” Tea is viewed not merely as a beverage, but as a symbol of a single mindful moment that transforms division into harmony. The tea gathering is positioned as a ritual to discover fleeting harmony and serene beauty.
  ・Composition: Includes the tearoom, all tea utensils used in the gathering, hanging scrolls and flower vases, and the rights to host the tea gathering itself.

• Exhibition Details

  ・Exhibition Title: SCOPE MIAMI BEACH 2024
  ・Dates: December 3 (Tue) – December 8 (Sun), 2024
  ・Venue: SCOPE MIAMI BEACH pavilion, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

• Comments from Stakeholders

  Ryo Iwamoto*3 (CEO, TeaRoom Inc.):
  “Sen no Rikyū emphasized the creation of space. By enhancing the value of the setting, the value of the craft itself is elevated. This art fair offered us a wonderful opportunity to pose essential questions to the world as creators of such spaces. We wish to reengage with our own culture and deliver the values Japan has long questioned to the world as true value.”
  
  Ken Ishigami (Producer, B-OWND):
  “Through this work, we seek to express in new ways the multidimensional and multilayered contexts of tea culture. Rather than following the Western method of evaluating works as isolated ‘points,’ this initiative establishes a foundation for evaluation through a ‘plane’—a mode that integrates diverse cultural elements. In doing so, we aim to generate historical depth and added value for Japanese craft and culture, connecting them to the context of art.”

*1 SCOPE MIAMI BEACH: One of the world’s leading international art fairs, held in Miami Beach, with over 130 international galleries exhibiting. B-OWND first participated in 2023 and continued in 2024.
*2 TeaRoom Inc.: Founded in 2018 by CEO Ryo Iwamoto, the company engages in Japanese tea production, sales, and business development. With a mission to inherit and advance tea culture, TeaRoom provides diverse cultural experiences in Japan and abroad. In May 2023, TeaRoom formed a business partnership with B-OWND, collaborating on events at Haneda Airport and art fairs in Miami.
*3 Ryo Iwamoto: Born in 1997. Trained in the Urasenke school of tea from an early age, he founded TeaRoom Inc. at the age of 21. He was granted the tea name “Soryo Iwamoto” by Urasenke and is active as a tea master. He was selected for Forbes JAPAN 30 UNDER 30 2022 and continues to work internationally.