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• Japanese glasswork artist Yumi Tanaka (Mellow Glass) based in Nagano, Japan.
• Born and raised at the foot of Yatsugatake Mountains in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
• Studied glass making at Toyama Glass Art Institute, Department of Art.
• Started working at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Studio in 1998.
• Then became an independent glasswork artist with her artist name “Mellow Glass”
• Awarded at various art fairs in Japan and New Glass Review Competitions held by N.Y. Corning Museum of Glass between 1998 – 2002.
• Tanaka’s glass objects are exclusive to be exhibited at art events and several exhibitions curated by art galleries in Japan every year.
• She always cherishes the creation of her works that can deliver a sense of warmth and quietness involved in daily life that people can feel when they hold in hands.

Akira Minagawa
designer / founder of minä perhonen
Born in 1967. Founded ‘minä’ in 1995 prior to “minä perhonen.”

With a focus on textile design, based primarily on hand-drawn patterns, Minagawa engages in design activities that truly integrate into daily life, such as garment making, furniture and tableware designs, and spatial direction of stores and accommodations. Minagawa has provided designs for Kvadrat (Denmark), KLIPPAN (Sweden), and GINORI 1735 (Italian pottery label) and worked on illustrations for newspapers and magazines.

We're now an official overseas stockist of the globally renowned Japanese textile designer brand minä perhonen ⚮̈

We stock their homewares, interior goodies and textiles.

If you're interested in the fabrics of minä perhonen for your residential projects, please feel free to reach out!

Mio Suzuki is the artist behind Suzuki Carving Studio in Fukui, Japan. When talking about Fukui prefecture, it is an important place where the most famous Japanese traditions are based in since decades ago, such as washi, urushi wares, metalworks, ceramics, etc. Suzuki Carving Studio was established in 1968. Their major professions are related to architectural designs and wooden sculptures for old Japanese temples and shrines.

Mio Suzuki makes use of her time to try to bring more happiness to people's daily life besides working for Japanese temples. She believes that she's fortunate to be able to create and deliver her hand-carved wooden objects to different users. Her works are magical that always make people smile and feel happy.

Biography

2012 Exhibited at "Future Tradition WAO" in New York and Paris.

2012 Exhibited at Tokyo Design Week Professional Exhibition.

2012 Exhibited at Hikarie d47Museum "Nippon's 47 Artists 2013 Crafts" in Tokyo.

Motoharu Ozawa is a contemporary Japanese ceramic artist whose works are famous for the unique and creative hues which are mostly inspired by the beautifully natural surroundings in his town. Based in Gifu prefecture, the globally well-known city of Japanese pottery, Motoharu Ozawa is dedicated to delivering his colourful ceramic pieces to users, allowing them to immerse themselves into a joyful lifestyle whilst reminding them to re-discover the beauty of mother nature.

Messages from Motoharu Ozawa to our Japanese craft lovers:

"Some people may want to know how I create a variety of unique colours of my works. The fundamental ingredients that I use for my creative hues are sourced and from various types of metal and local clay that is rich in iron."

"There are always endless possibilities in numerous combinations of metal and clay. I found this could be one of the most interesting things of my career that keep myself focus on what I'm passionate about and motivate myself to continue to look for colours that I've never seen. My dream is to see users to curate their dining tables like painting on a canvas by utilising my ceramics in different colours."

"There're some important points that users need to be aware of after they have purchased my works. When you use acidic dish detergent for cleaning ceramics in the Jade colour, there's a possibility of colour changing. Please use neutral and mild dish detergent instead. Also, I highly recommend a few minutes of pre-soaking for Kohiki glazed ceramics before the first use. It might be an extra thing to do but this important step helps prevent oil and food colours from penetrating the layer of the Kohiki glaze. This pre-soaking tip will be a useful protection for the glaze."

• Born in 1976 in Shizuoka Prefecture
• After graduating from Tokyo Zokei University, he studied under ceramic master Taizo Kuroda.
• In 2003, he became an independent ceramic artist and built his atelier and kiln at the foot of Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture.
• His style mainly focuses on monotone colours. His original style for Hakuji with Tetsuyu iron glaze, which is a fusion of black and white vessels, is his iconic series of works.

Before becoming an independent glasswork artist, Nobuko Soda graduated from a bachelor degree of Applied Physics in Japan. In 2006, she decided to quit her office job and to start her journey to explore and create magics using her hands.

The unique style of Nobuko Soda's glass works consists of 3 elements - Bubbles, Rust and Blue. Each alternative collaboration among these 3 elements has its own texture and ambience, and they look very differently. This is the reason why her works are so fascinating and special. The handcrafted glass works that you have never seen elsewhere! 

Characteristics of different series of combinations:

- "Bubbles and Rust" Series: Bubbles are presented in a way that they're dancing freely in a brass texture. This combination also looks like the scattering sparks of "hanabi" (fireworks) surrounding the glass surface. It's a random yet beautiful melting point when chemicals start their harmonious dancing once they have met. The brass bubbles are then captured within the transparent layer of glass when Nobuko Soda stops blowing the glass. These fascinating moments between glass and brass will never appears in the exactly same form again. And, each of these scenes seems to be moving when you hold the works in your hands.

- "Bubbles and Blue" Series: This series is perfect for summer which reminds you the memory of going to the pool or visiting an aquarium. The 3-dimensional texture of bubbles inside the gradational layer of blue glass gives a fresh and cool breeze. They are even better when are used to serve bubbly drinks with a scoop of floating ice-cream during summer.

- "Rust and Blue" Series: Nobuko Soda's unique blue with a metallic and rustic style is created by the chemical reaction of adding brass during production. It's not a merely simple blue colour that you normally see. Each piece of glass objects in this series mimics the movement of water surface with an uneven top glass surface. 

"It's like turning on a lamp." 

_____ Founder of SHEEP DESIGN, Tatsuma Yamakawa (Nagoya, Japan)

For example, to find a writer who is heartless yet unknown. Through the candle, be aware of the relationship between health and materials. To cultivate a regional development project into a long-lasting business. Rather than being deceived by the image of advertising, increasing the number of people who can choose things by their own values.

What we deal with is SHEEP DESIGN is not a trend in the spotlight of the world, rather it is in a place where light does not reach. However, in that place where everyone has overlooked, it seems that the universal value that does not shake in the fashion is hiding. So, as we illuminate the darkness, we design, choose items and make candles. And I will tell those who can reach them. Even so slightly, the world will brighten up.

"We focus on carefully handling, listening to users' feedbacks and seeing different things in various fields in order to create and deliver beautiful and environmentally-conscious items."

We believe that the heart dwells in things. For this reason, we do everything ourselves when making candles, from mixing the wax and essential oils to labelling and packaging. Although mass production is not possible, we have continued to make each piece with care since our establishment.

Shi-ren is the artist name of Japanese ceramicist Kumiko Tokuyama. Her works have a unique expression through the application of her special glazes and the organic shapes of vessels. Monet series is her signature creation which was inspired by the Monet Garden by the famous French painter Claude Monet. This series entirely showcases her talented creativity and her love towards colours and nature.

The product concept of Sonoko Matsuda's glass boxes is based on occasions to celebrate and memorise those important and precious moments. Therefore, her signature jewellery glass boxes are named "Toki-no-Hako" (ときの箱) - which means a box to store and treasure a moment. To Sonoko Matsuda, she thinks that the important things include both the times that have passed and that in the future.  

She wishes that users will use her glass boxes to store their important items such as the precious piece of jewellery, a fountain pen, a memorable piece of stone that is collected at the beachside with your loved one, or even just the air. Whenever you gently open the glass box to revisit your nice memory, it's also a beautiful moment in daily life.

The glass technique that Sonoko Matsuda uses is casting glass. The sculpting skill is called sandblasting which she uses to create the delicate flower motifs on the exterior. The hand-sculpted flower motifs interpret flower quotes and meaningful thoughts. From the complicated and time-consuming procedures of production, she wants to express her dream by each piece of thoughtful glass works to help everyone to create and store their special and valuable moments.