Exhibition Explores Buttons as Artistic Medium at Milan Gallery

Numero 51 gallery in Milan is presenting the exhibition SUMIE x KAWA, focusing on buttons as artistic objects. The show features handmade buttons by Japanese artist Yuuka Miyazono, created from materials like glass, ceramic, resin, and horn. This exhibition represents the inaugural Project Room initiative at the gallery, which explores themes adjacent to contemporary art. The presentation includes historical context about buttons, tracing their evolution from 13th-century European functional items to decorative Asian artifacts. The article notes that buttons have entered the collectibles market, citing Alberto Giacometti's 1938 button designs for Elsa Schiaparelli that sold at Bonhams auction house in 2025. The exhibition runs through March 29.