Sasai Fumie, Gentian, 2025, urushi lacquer, hemp cloth, foam polystyrene, 28 x 7.25 x 6.50 in.

Sasai Fumie
July 25 – August 23, 2025
Artist’s Reception: Friday, July 25, 5-7pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, July 26, 2pm
1601 Paseo de Peralta, Sante Fe

TAI Modern proudly presents the first solo U.S. show of Japanese lacquer artist Sasai Fumie, opening on July 25. Currently a professor at Kyoto City University of Arts, where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Sasai reimagines the millennia-old tradition of lacquerware with vibrant colors, inviting forms, and a soft-polished sheen that conveys warmth and approachability.

Sasai Fumie learned the art of kanshitsu, meaning dry lacquer, from Shinkai Gyokuho (1939-2021), her teacher at the Kyoto City University of Arts. He was of the first artists to use the technique to create abstract forms, incorporating lightweight Styrofoam as the base of the piece, and subsequently layering urushi lacquer and pieces of hemp cloth on top of it. This technique allows the pieces to become lighter, thus allowing for more freedom of composition. This is the foundation for every piece Sasai creates.

Guided by the concept of “Fueki Ryuko”—the balance between timeless principles and changing trends—Sasai blends enduring motifs like flowers and fruit with contemporary expression. For this exhibition, Sasai has brought together those changes to create works that speak to the bright and lively nature of contemporary art, both in Japan and in the west. Her forms, from boxes in the shape of realistic peaches and persimmons to abstract collaborations with bamboo artists that meditate on the compositions of eggs in nests, Sasai Fumie prepares to delight and enchant us with her beautiful work.

Join them for the opening reception on Friday, July 25 from 5-7pm, and return on Saturday, July 26, at 2pm for a lecture and gallery walkthrough with the artist.

To learn more and view the online catalog, click here.