Matsuda Yuriko 松田百合子 b. 1943
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The internationally acclaimed artist Matsuda Yuriko (b. 1943) has expanded the possibilities of polychrome porcelain decoration through her exuberant and highly imaginative ceramic practice. Working primarily with hand-built porcelain forms, she creates playful, sculptural works infused with a sense of wit, elegance, and contemporary flair. Drawing inspiration from subjects as varied as fruit, vegetables, landscapes, feet, legs, and the human body, Matsuda envelops each surface in densely layered decorative patterns. Rooted in traditional techniques and aesthetics—including iro-e, kinrande, Kutani ware, and sometsuke—her works engage deeply with themes of nature, ornament, surface, and the body. As a student, she trained under some of the most influential ceramic masters of the twentieth century, including Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886–1963), Kondō Yūzō (1902–85), Fujimoto Nōdō (1919–92), and Kiyomizu Rokubei VII (1922–2006).
In this catalogue, she explores the timeless motif of Mount Fuji with a playful, contemporary spirit. Here, the iconic peak is transformed through a whimsical lens, its surface alive with scrolling floral patterns inspired by the decorative style of Ogata Kenzan 尾形乾山 (1663–1743). In her celebrated Mt. Fuji sculptures, stylized blossoms shimmer with touches of silver and gold alongside the five classic Kutani colors—blue, green, purple, red, and yellow—bringing vibrancy, movement, and delight to each form. Dialogues surrounding body, fashion, and identity also emerge in works featured in this exhibition, particularly In Her Shoes (2008).
For decades, Matsuda has created imaginative porcelain works that blur the boundary between sculpture and function. Drawing on traditional Chinese and Japanese decorative vocabularies, her richly ornamented surfaces celebrate the expressive power, pleasure, and vitality of decoration.