About
The concept of SETO INLAND LINK is “The various individuality spun by “denim”. Denim has been welcomed as a “taste” because of its individuality that is reflected in the different shades and expressions that develop as the wearer wears the garment.
Using this unique material, we will present works by internationally renowned artists, creators, denim craftsmen, students from professional schools and after-school care facilities in Okayama prefecture.
We hope that through the exhibition, various links will be created between people, between people and things, between people and companies, etc., and that this will be a catalyst for the expansion of a new future.
The concept of SETO INLAND LINK is “Diverse individualities connecting by denim”.
Denims create the depth of individuality from each different textures and expressions by wearing them for long time. Using the unique materials, works of diverse individualities by global artists, creators, denim craftsmen, collage students in Okayama and children attend to an after-school day service will be announced. The works will be exhibited at 3 venues in Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter, Art Torajiro Kojima Memorial Museum, Ryokan Kurashiki and Kurashiki Monogatarikan. For the materials of this works, it is used remnants from 3 denim manufacturing companies in Kojima included YutoRi18.
Also, Vintage denim’s transaction price has risen rapidly and gathering attention for an investment. Vintage denims worth over 15 million yen for total will be displayed at the venues, including products cost more than 5 million yen each.
We think that denim processing is a creative activity such as an artist paint on a white canvas. It is normally featured its techniques as one of the attracts of denim in Kojima, but its essences are ideas and expressing by craftsmen’s various individualities. We would like to have the next generation of successors more interests in the denim industry by focusing on such attracts and sharing them. And also, we would like to develop the denim industry in Kojima Kurashiki with them and contribute to creative and good community development creating by individualities and diversity. Supporting each other’s individuality, that is exactly a power of creating new possibilities. We hope that SETO INLAND LINK can be a chance to realize other’s individuality and understand it.
Kenichi Uneo
He is CEO of YutoRi18 Co., Ltd. and a after-school day service “Pantone Future School”. He is born in 1982 in Kurashiki, Okayama.
After he graduated a high school, he met the manufacturing and processing industry while experiencing different kinds of jobs. After that, he started his own business to create an environment for younger people to challenge. By using its techniques not just denim processing, he always discovering possibilities of new projects that younger people can have dreams. He is also a father of 5 children.
About YUtoRi18, Inc.
Since 2004, YutoRi18 Co., Ltd. has a denim factory in Kojima, Okayama. All their denim processing is done by hands and the high-quality works producing by various techniques such as shaving, pigments and repairing are highly recognized in both Japan and other countries. At YutoRi18, there are 50 staffs with a variety of charms from age 10s to 60s. They are committed to denim processing as creating works not just making industrial products with traditional techniques and their sensitive creativities. The quality of them has been highly evaluated. YutoRi18 deal with around 150 brands. The number of processed pieces is approximately 15 million pieces each year. In 2024, a second factory will be opened with environmental considerate machines.