KURIMOTO Natsuki
| present | Professor of Kyoto City University of Arts, Department of Crafts |
| 2000 | Fellowship to study in England under the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists (1 year) |
| 1987 | Graduated from postgraduate program, Kyoto City University of Arts |
| 1985 | Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts |
| 1961 | Born in Osaka, Japan |
Solo Exhibitions
| 2019 | Urushi: Rebirth, Keiko Art International |
| 2015 | Akasaka Yu Gallery, Tokyo |
| 2014 | Gallery Kaede, Osaka |
| 2005 | Gallery Kunugi, Tokyo |
| 2004 | Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo, Kyoto |
| 1998 | EXHIBITION SPACE, Tokyo International Forum |
| 1993 | Sasakawa Peace Foundation U.S.A., Gallery, Washington, D.C. , U.S.A. |
| 1992 | Gallery Kouki, Paris, France |
| 1991 | Gallery KURANUKI, Osaka (1993.1996.1999) |
| 1989 | Shibuya Seibu Art Gallery, Tokyo(1992) |
| 1988 | Esses Gallery, Tokyo |
| 1986 | Art Space Niji, Kyoto (1989) |
| 1984 | Gallery Suzuki, Kyoto |
Group Exhibitions
| 2015 | Nippon! Contemporary Arts and Crafts from Japan, ESH Gallery, Milan, Italy Dialogue with Materials: Contemporary Japanese Arts an Crafts, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey |
| 2014 | URUSHI: Couleurs et formes des Laques, Japonaises contemporaines, Yakimono galerie, Paris Dialogue with Materials: Contemporary Japanese Arts an Crafts, Ahmed Adnen Saygun Sanat Merkezi, Izmir, Turkey |
| 2013 | Introducing Contemporary Lacquer, Keiko Art International |
| 2011 | PLAY/PRAY, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi |
| 2009 | SOFA NEW YORK, New York. U.S.A. DOMANI, The National Art Center, Tokyo |
| 2008 | Art and Antiques Dubai, Dubai, U.A.E. SOFA CHICAGO, Chicago, U.S.A. |
| 2007 | The International Asian Art Fair 2007, New York. U.S.A. The International Art and Design Fair, New York. U.S.A. |
| 2006 | The International Asian Art Fair, New York. U.S.A. ART SYDNEY 06", Sydney, Australia. Japan & Korea Urushi exhibition, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Tokyo. Transfiguration: Japanese Art Jewelry Today, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Japanese Cool 2, Lesley Kehoe Galleries, Melbourne. Australia |
| 2005 | Japanese Cool, Lesley Kehoe Galleries, Melbourne, Australia |
| 2004 | New Urushi Forms - Three Lac quer Artists from Japan -, Museum of Craft & Folk Art, San Francisco, U.S.A. |
| 2003 | The Art of Japan-Tradition & Transformation-, Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College, U.S.A. |
| 2002 | Exhibition of Japanese Art Featuring, Consulate of Japan, Australia |
| 2000 | Oxford Art Festival, Oxford , U.K. VISION, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi |
| 1999 | A Grand Design, Victoria & Albert Museum, London , U.K. |
| 1997 | International Art Exhibition A Inside, Kassel, Germany |
| 1996 | The vision of Contemporary Art, The Ueno Royal Museum |
| 1995 | Japanese Studio Crafts Tradition and the Avant-garde, Victoria & Albert Museum, London , U.K. |
| 1994 | Koshimizu, Kurimoto-Beyond the Sculpture, Form and Color, Otani Memorial Art Museum, Hyogo Japanese Design, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, U.S.A. |
| 1986 | Exhibition of the Suntory Prize'89, Suntory Museum, Tokyo |
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
- Minneapolis Institute of Arts, USA
- Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA USA
- Victoria & Albert Museum, London, U.K.
- Kyoto City University of Arts / Argentina Museum of Modern Art
- Asia & Pacific Trade Center, Osaka / Awanosato Art Forum, Tokushima
- Kyoto Prefecture / Sakura Art Museum, Osaka
- Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
It has been more than thirty years since I first time came across the material, Urushi (lacquer). The more I get to know it, the more I become fascinated by the marvel of the material.
Japanese Lacquer work (Shitsugei) is an art form created with the tree sap from Urushi trees as its base. Urushi art work can be created by paining Urushi sap on various materials or penetrating through them.
I always feel that Urushi sap is just like blood for human beings.
Urushi Sap is the source of the life of Urushi trees. So long as I receive the life of trees from Urushi trees and use it as the materials of my work, it is no use if I don’t create a new life through my work. This is, I believe, what my work is coming from.
For this exhibition, I created several colorful wall-hanging pieces and boxes with the combinations of colour lacquer and mother of pearl technique called Raden zaiku. I hope you will enjoy the beauty of decorative art of Urushi.