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Shunsuke KatoNOTA&design, NOTA_SHOP @nota_shopprofile
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Born in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, in 1984. While at university, Shunsuke Kato studied design in London. After working at an advertising production company in Tokyo, he returned to Shigaraki to design and make ceramics.
In 2017, he established the studio NOTA&design and the gallery and shop NOTA_SHOP. His practice is guided by the idea of connecting people, objects, eras, and disciplines—much like nota, the clay slip used to join pieces of pottery. Alongside ceramics, his work spans graphic and product design, interiors, exhibition design, and branding. At NOTA_SHOP, he presents makers and products across craft, art, and design without drawing boundaries between them.
The name circuit evokes both a pathway and a cycle of circulation.
How can a prototype move beyond the exhibition and find its way into everyday life as an innovative product? Now in its second year, alter. introduces circuit as a new initiative to help create that pathway.
Many design products are more accessible in price than artworks or certain pieces of high-end furniture, and many are made to be used. Yet opportunities to encounter these products, understand what makes them innovative, and imagine how they might fit into a real space remain limited. We believe this makes it harder to experience their value.
This year, the venue will include a shop bringing together products from projects selected for 2026, works discovered through this year’s open call, new developments of prototypes presented in 2025, experimental works created by companies and artists, and products curated by alter. Visitors will be able to explore and purchase them in one place.
In principle, works on display throughout the venue will also be available for purchase, with a price list provided on site. By connecting the experience of viewing a product with the possibility of owning it, circuit aims to create a pathway from the exhibition into people’s lives—and allow products to circulate through society once more.
