For the 2021 edition, the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller evokes the dialogue between French and Japanese master artisans. The foundation works actively to bring together and compare French and Japanese savoir-faire. Through its commitment to institutions such as the Villa Kujoyama and the Manufacture de Sèvres, it promotes cultural dialogue between these two countries, where craftsmanship is part of the cultural identity. By creating inspired bonds, the hands of both countries meet, nurture and challenge each other through their creative intelligence.
The Fondation Bettencourt Schueller has been engaged in philanthropic support of the applied arts for nearly 20 years. Fully aware of the contemporary challenges of the crafts, the foundation pursues a philanthropic approach which places humans at the very centre. The foundation passionately supports a selection of the craft sector’s protagonists in order to promote the influence of fine craftsmanship in France and abroad.