Kogei Artist Vol.4

Kirikane Artist

Ai Imamura

This piece is made from Jindai cedar. It expresses small buds that take in the goodness of heaven and earth, sending roots deep into the ground and changing with the season in the beauty of life’s vitality.

Jindai cedar is an ancient cedar that was buried in the ground due to volcanic eruption or other reasons for 2,500 to 2,600 years. The beautiful natural color comes from components in the soil moving into the wood before the wood is exposed to the air.

Ai Imamura
Ai Imamura

I cut the lines used in the design, eyeballing the dimensions, using a bamboo knife, which I also make myself. I use from four to six sheets of gold and platinum foil that I fuse together using a charcoal fire. The number of sheets that I fuse together depends on the application. I cut each line individually. I position them holding a brush in each hand and use Nikawa glue to secure them in place.

Ai Imamura
Ai Imamura
Ai Imamura

I feel like I’m making fresh air with the fragrance of early summer that suddenly appears in the forest near where I live when the plants begin to breathe. I wanted to make all that into a form with the air being drawn up from the bottom and sent out from the top, which I made into a lid.

Ai Imamura

Kirikane Artist

Ai Imamura

Ai Imamura uses Japanese cedar that has been buried in the ground for a long time. She uses this precious material to make boxes, which she decorates with detailed patterns using gold and silver foil cut into pieces only a few millimeters in size, always trying to express the feeling of natural beauty. I am very proud to be able to tell you about all of these exceptional artworks from Kogei Art KYOTO.

Ai Imamura
1990
Graduated from Kyoto Seika Junior College
1992
Studied sculpture, coloring, and kirikane under parents (Sou-en and Tomoko), worked in family business
1993
Studied under Shozo Menya,13th Menshou doll artist (Living National Treasure); studied under Shoho Menya,14th Menshou doll artist
1999
Studied under Noh mask artist Nyozan Umehara
2003
Received Northern Japan Broadcasting Award ('07 Tulip Television Award) at 3rd National Woodcarving Competition in Inami
2009
Received Newcomer Award at 64th Shinsho Kogei Exhibition (also received Honorable Mention in 2011)
2010
Received Newcomer Honorable Mention Award at 39th Japan Traditional Kogei Kinki Exhibition
2012
Received Panasonic Award at 59th Japan Traditional Kogei Kyoto Exhibition
2013
Received Japan Kogei Association Award at 24th Traditional Kogei "Various Works" Section Exhibition
2015
Received Kyoto Mayor's Award at 1st Geibunkyo Exhibition; exhibited in "Celebrating 400 years of Rimpa: an exhibition of the works of 200 Kyoto artists"
2016
Exhibited in "Celebrating 400 years of Rimpa: an exhibition of the works of 200 Kyoto artists" in Tokyo; exhibited in 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Kyoto Kogei Association
2021
Exhibited in "Kyoto Kogei Association Exhibition @Tokyo--Kyoto does KOGEI"
Collections
Koyasan Jizouin Temple, Wakayama Prefecture; 41st Pilgrimage Site Ryokoji Temple, Ehime Prefecture; Kabusanji Temple, Osaka Prefecture; Goou-jinja Shrine, Kyoto Prefecture
more