Miyu Kurihara Stem Vase

Miyu Kurihara was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1989. She is a Japanese artist who makes hand-painted ceramics and is currently working and living in London. In 2014 Kurihara studied a BA course in Department of Product and Textile Design at Tama Art University in Tokyo, going on to study her MA course in Textile Design at the Chelsea College of Arts’ University of the Arts London in 2016. She has since had several solo exhibitions in Tokyo and London including Central Saint Martins, The Old Truman Brewery, Harajuku Gallery and the Spiral Garden in Tokyo. 

Kurihara draws upon her heritage when creating her ceramics pieces being inspired both by Japanese kimono designs and traditional Asian ceramics. All pieces are made by hand and individually drawn with intricate detail. She incorporates the brush techniques and textile designs learned in Japan and London and uses the traditional blue and white porcelain craftsmanship that originate in China and Japan.

The offer to collaborate with Pitzhanger has given Kurihara the opportunity to study the   great architectural intricacies of Soane’s creation.  Each room with its own differing themes, presents a wealth of design that inspires. The direct link to the stained-glass windows is apparent in her own designs for her vases. The upper drawing room with its Chinese designed wallpaper and its running motifs, specifically of the birds, has been of particular resonance for Kurihara in her own on-going ceramic designs.