Kiyomi Okukubo

Style

Lacquer sap is collected by making many deep cuts into lacquer tree trunks and precisely for that reason, I wish to show my respect and appreciation for this gift of nature by making the maximum use of the characteristics of lacquer, such as its strength after hardening or its deep luster. I make plain bases by pasting layers of hemp cloth onto a fine detailed plaster mold; I also make dynamic forms by the hand-twisting of ropes and non-woven fabric into which lacquer first infiltrates, and then I leave the natural hardening property of lacquer to give further free shape to my workpieces. When applying decoration, guided by the red square boxes made for the household effects of feudal lords, I repeatedly explore ways to ensure that the red texture appears as a pattern similar to maki-e (sprinkled picture decoration) or raden (mother-of-pearl inlay).

Biography

• 1984
  Completed the Master's Degree in the Urushi Art Course at Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts
• 1986
  Submitted to the Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition for the first time
• 1990
  Submitted to the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition for the first time
• 1993
  Completed the Professional Training Course for Cultural Property Restoration sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
• 1998
  Solo Exhibition "Flower Party" (Bungeishunju Gallery, Ginza)
  “Vessels of Fragrance Today” Exhibition (Museum of Fragrance, Iwata)
• 1999
  Overseas training for one year in Europe and North America (- 00) promoted by the Gotoh Memorial Foundation
• 2001
  Solo Exhibition "Return from Overseas Training Commemoration Exhibition" (Bunkamura Gallery, Shibuya)
• 2002
  Solo Exhibition "Water, Flower and Wind" (Gallery Yohaku, Nagoya)
  Solo Exhibition "Vivid" (Gallery Tanaka, Ginza)
• 2003
  Solo Exhibition "activity" (Keio Plaza Hotel)
  Dispatched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as overseas artist trainee for one year in London (- 04)
• 2004
  SETAGAYA ART 2004 Exhibition (Setagaya Art Museum)
• 2006
  Solo Exhibition "Overseas Training Report - there -" (Keio Plaza Hotel)
  "SETAGAYA ART 2006" Exhibition (Setagaya Art Museum)
• 2008
  Solo Exhibition "version" (Gallery Tanaka, Ginza)
• 2010
  Solo Exhibition "assort" (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi)
  "Bi no Choryu (The Tide of Beauty)" Exhibition (Bunkamura The Museum)
• 2011
  Tainan International Treechi Art Exhibition (Taiwan)
• 2012
  125th Anniversary Event Tokyo University of the Arts, URUSHI ART History and the Future Exhibition (The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts)
• 2014
  Utsuwa from Kanto Exhibition (Museum of Arts and Crafts Itami)
• 2016
  REVALUE NIPPON PROJECT: Hidetoshi Nakata’s Favorite Japanese Kogei Exhibition (Panasonic Shidome Museum)
• 2018
  "Japanese Lacquer Work" Exhibition (Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum)
  "Lacquer Art Today 2018" Exhibition (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi)
  Solo Exhibition "texture" (Gallery Tanaka, Ginza)
• 2019
  Solo Exhibition "Tray Bon Ban" (Gallery Okariya, Ginza)
• 2021
  "Expressing Lacquer" Exhibition (Kanazawa Nakamura Memorial Museum)
  Solo Exhibition "Legacy" (Gallery Okariya, Ginza)
• 2022
  The Beauty of Crafts - Metalwork and Lacquerware (ISE Foods Inc., Toyama)
• 2023
  Solo Exhibition "Papier et URUSHI" (Gallery Okariya, Ginza)

Awards

• 1995
  Received the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education Award at the 12th Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1998
  Received the 9th Gotoh Memorial Cultural Award
• 2003
  Selected for overseas training by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
• 2019
  Received the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education Award at the 35th Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition

Public Collections

• Victoria and Albert Museum
• KIBUN Collection
• The Museum of Fragrance, Iwata
• Seirenji (Hiroshima)
• Tafu Gallery
• Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum
• Urazoe City Museum of Art
• Ise Foundation