Using chisels and planes , Tohru Matsuzaki (b. 1944) carves the basic forms for his work from valuable blocks of solid zelkova or chestnut wood, finishing them in thick coatings of Japanese urushi lacquer. He creates forms that appear simple but are highly refined; the vermilion red lacquer evokes images of the Jomon period (ca 11000 BC - ca 300 BC).
These unique works can be said to embody the essence of the Japanese ‘Mingei' folk craft movement.
Selected Exhibitions/Awards
1982 Received the Kokugakai New Talent Award
1987 Received the Kokugakai Affiliate Award for Excellence
1988 Nominated for membership of the Kokugakai.
2001 Produced the vases for Daniel Ost's “Daniel Ost Flower Festival” in Tokyo 2002 Contributed to Shigeru Uchida's Exhibit at the “Salone Internazionale del
Mobile 2002” (Milan, Italy)
2003 ‘Turning Point: Oribe and the Arts of Sixteenth Century Japan” exhibition at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
2006-2009 Become a Chairman of the Judging Committee of Craft Section of the Kokugakai
2009 & 2012 Solo exhibition at Ippodo Gallery New York (New York, U.S.A.)
-
Ceramics on Lacquerware
Keiji Ito and Tohru Matsuzaki 9 - 18 Oct 2020Ippodo Gallery Tokyo is holding “Ceramics on the Lacquerware”, a collaborative exhibition featuring Keiji Ito, ceramic artist, and Tohru Matsuzaki, wooden lacquerware artist. The two artists were first connected...Read more -
Rinpa: Silver Waves
Lacquer works by Tohru Matsuzaki 1 - 21 Nov 2018Matsuzaki's studio is set among the quiet mountains of Motegi town in Tochigi Prefecture, which is situated next to the village of Mashiko where the potter, Shoji Hamada, one of...Read more -
The Essence of Imperfection
Wabi Sabi at Ippodo Gallery 26 Oct - 22 Nov 2017Wabi Sabi Shoko Aono The call of the evening cicada that signals the approach of autumn, a lonely plain of eulalia grass, a moss-covered rock, a simple teahouse… The Japanese...Read more
-
TEFAF Maastricht 2026
14 - 19 Mar 2026FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Authentic Colors of Japan MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS – Ippodo Gallery is pleased to announce its debut participation in TEFAF Maastricht 2026, presenting a landmark exhibition titled Authentic Colors of Japan at Booth 476. From March 14 to March 19, the exhibition will feature masterful objects by 20 of Japan’s most distinguished contemporary artists. Their creations evoke vivid pigments sourced from nature and explore the primal power of color through the nation’s rarest traditional materials. This showcase of authentic Japanese colors offers visitors an encounter with a spectrum of mediums: the deep reds of vermillion lacquer, the luminescence of Gofun white from oyster shells, the brilliance of gold and silver leaf, and the depth of indigo blue. The exhibition highlights how ancient techniques are being radically recontextualized for global contemporary audiences: cutting edge mother-of-pearl inlays are naturally luminescent like digital screens; revolutionary silk Obi belts woven with opal incorporate the thousand-year history of Japanese weaving with new understanding of minerals; and masterworks in bamboo, Nihonga painting, and clay are grounded in the earthy, tactile aesthetics of the Japanese landscape. "To witness these artworks is to see the 'colors' of Japan not as mere pigments, but as living history," says Shoko Aono, the director of Ippodo Gallery. "In presenting pieces by these 20 esteemed artists in Maastricht, we are showcasing a mastery that is at once ancient and avant-garde." Exhibiting artists: Shin Fujihira, Shihoko Fukumoto, Kondaya Genbey, Yuki Hayama, Hideaki Honma, Terumasa Ikeda, Manji Inoue, Hajime and Yasuo Ishikura, Hiromi Itabashi, Yukiya Izumita, KAKU, Sho Kishino, Hirotomi Maeda, Masaaki Miyasako, Jihei Murase, Daisuke Nakano, Junko Narita, Reiji Omori, Hiraku Sudo, Shion Tabata, and Sōyō and Shōdo Yamagishi.Read more -
Design Miami 2023
Forms and Formations 5 - 12 Dec 2023Booth G35 Ippodo Gallery presents Forms and Formations , featuring great names in contemporary Japanese fine art at Design Miami 2023 from December 5 to...Read more
-
Design Miami/ 2023 Recap
February 19, 2024Ippodo Gallery’s presence at Design Miami/ for a second year is met with rave reviews. We are so grateful for the enthusiastic responses of our...Read more -
The Art of Kogei
November 16, 2021Kogei are Traditional Crafts of Japan that must meet five requirements to be recognized by the Ministry of Economy. The crafts must be made for...Read more -
About the Motif:
Similarities between Massimo Micheluzzi works and Japanese Aesthetics. November 10, 2021Massimo Micheluzzi, a Venetian artist at Ippodo Gallery, may seem like an unusual combination. However, Massimo's designs and patterns align with Japanese aesthetics or resemble...Read more -
Ancient Memories and the Joy of Touching
October 14, 2021Matsuzaki's urushi lacquer works consist of 400 to 500-year-old zelkova, horse chestnut or chestnut timber that has been carved, and then given numerous liberal coats...Read more -
Japanese Lacquer
An Overview November 24, 2020Lacquerware stands as being one of the most destinctive forms of Japanese beauty. Lacquerware is usually made from Urushi, the sap of Urushi Trees, a...Read more