Sako Ryuhei (b. 1976), Mokume-gane Uchidashi Vase 02, 2020, silver, copper, shakudo, shibuichi and kuromido, H 7 x dia. 5 1/8 in. (18 x 13.1 cm.), courtesy of Onishi Gallery

Sako Ryuhei (b. 1976), born in Okayama Prefecture, graduated from Hiroshima City University in the Department of Design and Applied Arts in 1999, and then earned his master's degree in 2002 from the same institution. Sako Ryuhei creates pieces using Mokume-gane, a Japanese metal technique dating back to the 17th century. First, very thin different colored alloyed metal sheets are layered and bonded. Then the layers are cut into, or drilled, and reworked. Achieving a successful lamination takes a very skilled artist, and although his work is based on research and experimentation using this traditional process, he manages to create very contemporary pieces. In 2004, he became a member of the Nihon Kōgeikai (Japanese Handcrafts Association) and in 2013, during his first exhibition outside Japan, the Victoria and Albert Museum purchased one of his pieces for their public collection.

Selected Public Collections:
Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York
Hiroshima City University | Hiroshima, Japan
Machiko Hasegawa Art Museum | Tokyo, Japan
Victoria and Albert Museum | London, UK

For more information, click here.