SASAI Fumie

present	Associate Professor at Kyoto City University of Arts
2004-5	Artist in Residence, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
2003-4	Special Intern, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
1998	M.F.A., Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto
1996	B.F.A., Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto
1973	Born in Osaka

Solo Exhibitions

2019	“Fish in the Sky"Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
2017	Galerie an der Pinakothek der Moderne, Munchen, Germany
2015	Sasai Fumie, URUSHI - Lacque Sculptée, Mizen Fine Art, Paris Gion Konishi, Kyoto
2013	Takashimaya Nihonbashi, Tokyo/ Takashimaya Osaka/ Takashimaya Yokohama, Kanagawa
2010	Gallery Caption, Gifu
2009	ITOSHIKI Ka-Ta-Chi (Lovely Shapes), Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
2007	Gallery Kian, Kyoto Gallery Enbu, Aichi
2006	Gion Konishi, Kyoto Silver Shell, Kyobashi, Tokyo
2005	The Art Gallery, The Japan Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand (also in '04)
2003	Chiang Mai University Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2002	Tea Ceremony Room, Doujien, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
2001	Wacoal Ginza Art Space, Tokyo Gallery Maronie, Kyoto
1999	Exhibition Space, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo

Group Exhibitions

2022	Genreless Kogei, National Crafts Museum, Kanazawa
	Exhibition to commemorate the move of the Agency for Cultural Affairs to Kyoto,Takashimaya Art Gallery, Kyoto
2021	Japanese Modern Arts and Artists in Ibaraki, The museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki
	Five artist’s Brilliant Craft “, Ginza Wako hall, Tokyo
2020	COLLECT, Somerset House, London, U.K
	Challenge - Three Urushi Sculptors, Sokyo Gallery, Kyoto
	Japanese Lacquer 2020, Kanazawa Yasue Gold leaf Museum, Ishikawa
	URUSHI ULTRA, Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
2019	COLLECT, Saatchi Gallery, London, U.K
	Master Piece London, The Royal Hospital Chelsea London, U.K
2018	COLLECT, Saatchi Gallery, London, U.K (’17) Urushi no Genzai (Japanese Lacquer at Present), Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo Master Piece London, The Royal Hospital Chelsea London, U.KK('16) Beyond Boundaries: A Future of Traditional Decorative Arts, Ginza WAKO, Tokyo('16)
2017	Designing JapanPhiladelphia Museum of Art, PA, USA TRESOR, Messe Basel, Basel, Swiss PAD London Art ＆Design, Berkeley Square, London, U.K Hard Bodies: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture,, Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN, USA Art Miami, One Herald Plaza Miami, FL, USA
2016	Art Stage Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Takashimaya Charitable Trust for Art and Culture Prize, Selection Exhibition, Takashimaya Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan Craft Arts: Innovation of “Tradition and Avant-Garde,” and the Present Day, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan Art of KOGEI, Spirit of Kyoto,, Takashimaya Kyoto, Japan
2015	Art of Laughter, The Museum of Modern Art Ibaraki Dialogue with Materials: Contemporary Japanese Arts an Crafts, AhmeAnadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey COLLECT, Saatchi Gallery, London, U.K The world of Urushi and Ghost, Wajima Museum of Urushi Art, Ishikawa PAD London Art ＆Design, Berkeley Square, London, U.K REVELATIONS, GRAND PALAIS PARIS, Paris, France Urushi Mountains, Hankyu Umeda, Osaka Forms of Urushi, Gallery Sokyo, Kyoto
2014	URUSHI: Couleurs et formes des Laques, Japonaises contemporaines, Mizen Fine Arts, Paris Dialogue with Materials: Contemporary Japanese Arts an Crafts, Ahmed Adnen Saygun Sanat Merkezi, Izmir, Turkey Beyond Boundaries A Future of Traditional Decorative Arts, Ginza WAKO Hall, Tokyo
2013	Wakaranai No Susume, The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki
	Introducing Contemporary Lacquer, Keiko Art International
2012	New Vibrance in International Woman’s Urushi Art, Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukushima
2011	Flawless, Contemporary Japanese Lacquer, Cavin Morris Gallery, NY Japanese Modern Arts and Artists in Ibaraki, The museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki Contemporary Kogei Art Fair, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo
2010	Kyoto Crafts Biennale, Invited Artist Section, The Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto
2009	Contemporary Japanese Lacquer, KEIKO Gallery, MA SOFA New York, NY SASAI Fumie and TASHIMA Etsuko in the Flower Garden, Tsukuba Museum of Art, Ibaraki
2008	SOFA Chicago, Navy Pier Festival Hall, Chicago My Favorite Flowers, Takashimaya Nihonbashi, Tokyo
2006	The Child, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
2002	Selected New Artists Exhibition of Kyoto, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
2001	The 7th International Contemporary Art Festival 2001, Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo The 4th OKAMOTO Taro Memorial Award for Contemporary Art, OKAMOTO Taro Museum, Kanagawa

2022	35nd Kyoto Art Culture Award
2015	Takashimaya Charitable Trust for Art and Culture Prize The Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Prize, Encouragement Award
2014	The Best Young Artist Award by City of Kyoto
2008	The 30th Memorial Award, The Kyoto Art and Craft Artists Association Exhibition
2004	UNION Foundation for Ergo Design Culture, Overseas Training Program
2003	POLA Art Foundation, Overseas Training Program
2001	Special Award, Saga Art Competition '01

• The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki
• Toyota Municipal Museum of Art
• The Museum of Modern Art Ibaraki
• Takashimaya Historical Museum
• Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo
• Ise Cultural Foundation
• ABIKO KANNON Temple
• The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, Japan
• Osaka International Airport (Itami) Diamond Premier Lounge
• Museum of Fine Arts Boston, USA
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts, USA
• National Museum Guimet, France
• Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA
• Victoria & Albert Museum, U.K.

In Japan nurimono refers to things that are coated. The most common are things that are coated with urushi, (lacquer), a highly skilled craft in Japan for centuries.

The most common types of lacquer surfaces are those that are highly polished with a glossy sheen, or matt surfaces which have a soft appearance with a slight luster. These finished textures express the character of the piece as well as the personality and tastes of the artist. I prefer the matt surface of lacquer and a weight of the object which is comfortable to handle, because I want people to desire to touch them and enjoy and appreciate the inherent tactile qualities of the lacquer surface.

I create pieces that are based on forms that I believe have endearing universal appeal, such as flowers, fruit or children. I use the matt surfaces and soft forms to express tenderness in order to elicit these feelings from other people. For the basic forms I use an ancient Japanese technique known as kanshitsu, which in my forms is dry lacquer applied to hemp cloth and styrofoam.

I have pursued this concept for a very long time. However, in the spring of 2014 something new emerged in my work that was inspired by the crisp folds and layers of traditional Japanese kimono.

Subsequently I had opportunities to collaborate with artists in other genres and media, such as bamboo, porcelain, and other lacquer decorations such as makie and kirikane, which I exhibited in Tokyo in the fall of 2014. This experience was very exciting for me because out of those collaborations I developed unexpected shapes with new expressions. For this new exhibition at Mizen Gallery in Paris, I have included works that I produced in collaboration with the bamboo artist, Tanabe Shouchiku.

While I will continue pursuing my original concept of using endearing forms, I also want to explore these new possibilities in contributing to the new world of lacquer art.