“With each individual work, including the title, I condense a single universe into that piece. The motifs are mostly inspired by nature, and I find it most satisfying when someone is able to look at my work and experience a soft breeze, hear the voice of a bird, or recreate a feeling from some story.”
-Ruri Takeuchi
Ippodo Gallery New York marries the worlds of Japanese reverence and contemporary sensibility. Traditionally celebrated on March 3rd, Hinamatsuri (also called “Girl's Day”) is a Japanese holiday that celebrates girls by praying for their health and well-being. To honor this celebration, Ippodo Gallery highlights works by women artists from our permanent collection and new glass and ceramic artworks by Kiyoko Morioka, Ruri Takeuchi, and Midori Tsukada.
Works in the exhibition include Kaga-inspired crafts and Kutani porcelain paintings by Ruri Takeuchi. Her decorated trinket boxes with adorable animals and delicate figurines in such refined detail may transport the viewer to a magical land. Kiyoko Morioka creates serene porcelain objects with a silky matte finish and graceful curvatures. Her works are as thin as wheel throwing can get. Midori Tsukada's glassmaking is strongly influenced by training as a metalsmith. Layers of various glass and copper leaf foil sheets fuse in Tsudaka’s work to create organic bubble-like patterns. Their works break away from ceramic tradition and allow themselves to express freely and hopefully inspire women to do the same in their chose field.
Using a wide range of media, these women produce works with passionate purpose and creative expression. Elegant Dedications: Selections of Female artist works by Ippodo Gallery in celebrating Girls Festival advocates for diversity, inclusion, and gender equality in art and beyond while each artist takes a comprehensive look at traditional Japanese techniques and forms. This dynamic space will welcome visitors to unique perspectives.
About the Artists
Kiyoko Morioka (b. 1974) began her artistic career studying abroad at Holbek National School of Fine Arts, Kingdom of Denmark. She continued her education at the Ishikawa Prefectural Kutani Yaki Technical Training Institute. Her talent as a ceramicist blossomed as she became certified as a "traditional craftsman" in the Kutani ware section. In 2016, Kiyoko received her Ph.D. at the Kanazawa College of Art. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Arts and Crafts of Kobe Design University.
Ruri Takeuchi (b. 1978) graduated from the Department of Oriental History at Kyoto Women's University in 1990. Years later, she graduated from Kyoto's School of Traditional Arts and Crafts. Takeuchi trained under Chousa Yamamoto, a renowned porcelain artist. In 2013, she opened her own workshop in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. She applies delicate paintings of plants and animals onto porcelain incense containers and small boxes, bringing them to life with her skillful artistry.
Midori Tsukada (b. 1972) has many degrees from Toyama City Institute of Glass Art and Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobe. Since 2011, Tsukada produces glassworks in her studio in Toyama. She has received numerous accolades in Japan, including the 2001 Honorable Award at the International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa and the 2009 Honorable Award at the 4th Exhibition of Contemporary Glass Koganezaki in Shizuoka. Her work is held in public collections all over the world, such as Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa, Notojima Glass Art Museum, Toyama Glass Art Museum, Koganezaki Christal Park Glass Museum and The Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (MUDAC), Lausanne (Switzerland), and Philadelphia Museum of Art in the U.S
About the Gallery
Ippodo Gallery's mission is to share empathy with the world and create global conversations through the experience of Japanese culture. We continue to showcase work that adheres to our mission to pursue the beauty of nature, with a sense of global consciousness for the fragility of the environment and the strength of quiet serenity. Ippodo expresses gratitude for nature and the silent honor of daily life, marrying the worlds of Japanese reverence and contemporary sensibility. As a result, Ippodo Gallery has worked directly with over 200 artists and has held thousands of exhibitions over the decades.
Ippodo Gallery Tokyo was founded by Keiko Aono in 1996, with two locations in the heart of Ginza and the residential area of Gotenyama. Gallery spaces include tea ceremony rooms where many artists and friends gather, fostering connections.
Second-generation Shoko Aono opened Ippodo Gallery in New York in 2008, continuing and expanding upon this belief overseas, and has since witnessed the impact of Japanese Kogei art in a western landscape. The result is a timeless cross-culturalism and a love for art that transcends language.
