Setsuko Miura
Setsuko Miura knew from an early age that she wanted to be a glassmaker and set out to travel the world, studying and refining her craft. She left Japan with very little English, studied for a year in England, a year in Prague, a year in America and then went to Iceland to work as an assistant in a glass studio.
It was in Iceland that she was inspired to create the clear glass works she is now famous for. Many of the works coming into Iceland at the time were from Germany and had many colours and clouding effects. Setsuko wanted to create something with more clarity. The natural environment in Iceland has little colour which allows for a feeling of purity that she recreates in her work.
She thinks that colour detracts from the natural look, and interferes with the reflections that can be appreciated in the glass. This means that each piece has to be flawless as any imperfections show up immediately.
Along with creating this natural feeling, Setsuko also wants her pieces to be functional so that people will want to use them everyday. The shape of the pieces means they are comfortable to hold whilst being unusually addictive to look at. Their slightly off centre stance, and the reflections in them, ensures they bring your attention back to them time, and again.
The glass used for these pieces is fired for 18 hours at a temperature of 1,200°c to give it the clarity that you see here. Setsuko then blows the glass and rolls it to create the basic shape. Various tools are used to help the shaping process, but each piece is made by hand and therefore each one has slightly different contours. When the work is complete it is placed in a cooler furnace, at 500°c, for two hours, to allow the inside and outside to cool equally to prevent cracks and breakages. The creative process is then complete and the glass ready for use.
Setsuko lives and works in Suwa. Her studio space is contained within the Kitazawa Museum of Art. She has exhibited work all over Japan, and is fast gaining a reputation as popular innovative new artist.
This event is a rare opportunity to view, and purchase some unique glassware.
Nagano Prefecture is situated in the heart of the Japanese Alps. 4 hours from Tokyo and containing some of most spectacular mountain scenery in the world.
Contact details:
Setsuko Miura
Kitazawa Museum of Art Annex
Suwa, Nagano-ken.