76. Kyoko Tokumaru  ​徳丸鏡子

Kyōko Tokumaru was born in Tokyo in 1963 and studied ceramics at the Tama Art University Graduated School. Her work, executed in unglazed porcelain, is characterized by an exorbitant presence of decorative elements composed into objects airily and gracefully and without any symmetry. She is inspired by the large floral and decorative arrangements that adorn the surroundings at Asian festivals, temples and shrines with an exuberance from which no observer can escape. In doing so, she establishes a link between art and worship. Because in her view, art was originally a way of showing respect for hidden forces in sacred objects and nature. Art played an important role in bringing those forces to the surface by depicting and decorating them. For Kyoko Tokumaru, therefore, decoration is not about its outward display, but rather the crystallization of wishes, prayers and incantations of people since ancient times. She wants, as she herself says, her work to be an instrument, like an offering, to invoke and invite sacred beings.

Kyōko Tokumaru assembles her porcelain sculptures from multiple bits and pieces that she then assembles and blends into a whimsical yet wondrous whole. Wavy and rhythmic, airy and playful are her objcts and with a panache that seems to contrast with the brittle, hard quality of fired porcelain.

Kyōko Tokumaru is experiencing great appreciation for her work. She has won several awards and her objects are included in the collection of numerous prominent museums such as the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Contemporary Craft Museum in Oregon, the Gifu Modern Ceramic Art Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.