Mazda is a car maker which is, justifiably, as famed for its delicate touch as for its industrial might. Just check out the painstaking processes used to make the company's 'Soul Crystal Red' paint, or the minute contrast stitching of its optional leather interiors if you don't believe it. Well, to celebrate this tradition of craftsmanship, Mazda has joined forced with the Homo Faber Fellowship.
What is the Homo Faber Fellowship?
The Homo Faber (literally 'Man The Maker, or 'Skilful Person', from the Latin) Fellowship is a series of grants, handed out by the Michaelangelo Foundation and supported by the luxury watch brand Jaeger Le Coultre.
The idea behind the grants is that they encourage two people, usually one with lots of experience and one who is starting out, skilled in various crafts - from sculpture to painting to many more - to work together for seven months to further their own skills and inspire others.
What's Mazda's role in all this?
Mazda is supporting the Fellowship and is the official Country Sponsor for Japan during the Fellowship's 2025/2026 term. In that, Mazda is currently sponsoring two master-fellow duos: textile pleating master Harumi Sugiura working with Marcella Giannini, and Japanese paper sculptor Kuniko Maeda working with Momoka Ienaga, recognising their dedication to Japanese artisanal traditions and the transmission of craft knowledge.
How can we learn more about this?
Mazda has created a series of films, called Craft Journeys, which follow these master-apprentice pairings. The idea, says Mazda, is to offer "an intimate look at how knowledge, technique and mindset are passed on, challenged and reinterpreted across generations and cultures, themes that strongly reflect Mazda's own Takumi philosophy: the idea of a master craftsperson's lifelong devotion to perfection, and the brand's approach to design.”
The first episode is now up on Mazda's YouTube channel (and embedded below), taking viewers to London, following the collaborative creative process of paper sculptor Kuniko Maeda and her fellow Momoka Ienaga, trained in traditional Japanese kaga embroidery.
Coming from different generations and backgrounds, the duo brings together paper, thread and form, blending age-old Japanese techniques such as kakishibu dyeing with contemporary sculptural expression.
The film sets out not just to show the finished object, but to focus on the process, both in a creative and learning sense. As Kuniko Maeda reflects in the film: "It's not just about passing skills. We are sharing ideas and creating something new. Something we couldn't have imagined alone.”
Can I see the real thing?
Yes, you can. Items from the various Homo Faber Fellowships will be displayed at 'Today's Masters Meet Tomorrow's Talents', the final exhibition of the programme's third edition, taking place from the 21st to the 26th of April 2026 at Casa degli Artisti during Milan Design Week.
The exhibition brings together the 22 master-fellow duos from 17 nationalities, working across 18 crafts in seven European countries. Each piece is the result of six months of working side by side, following an intensive masterclass programme held in Seville, Spain.
Katarina Loksa, Head of Brand at Mazda Motor Europe, said: "It was a privilege and truly inspiring to meet these two master-fellow artisan duos and see their work firsthand. Their quiet confidence, shaped by Japanese heritage, lives in every gesture - an expression of mastery, mentorship, and living tradition. Not only their technical excellence, but also the mindset behind it, is deeply aligned with Mazda's own Takumi philosophy”