Kumiko Kihara
About Kumiko Kihara
Raised in Kyoto, Kumiko draws deeply from the city’s traditional crafts, subtle beauty, and cultural restraint. Now based in Oxfordshire, she continues to respond to her surroundings while remaining rooted in slow, hand-based techniques where each mark is intentional. Trained in Japan, Barcelona, and Pforzheim, she developed a strong affinity for processes that preserve a tactile connection to materials. She specialises in the Mitsuro Hikime wax technique, learned under a Japanese master. Known for its flowing, organic lines, this process allows her to express quiet but profound emotion. Kumiko’s work explores memory, atmosphere, and unspoken connection, inviting reflection through understated grace and tactile storytelling.
Maker Enquiry Form
Whisper of Moonlit Flowers with You draws inspiration from a 150-year-old moment in Japanese literary history. When translating an English novel, a Japanese author faced the challenge of translating “I love you”, a phrase rarely spoken directly at the time. He chose, “Tsuki ga kirei desu ne” (“It’s a beautiful moon, isn’t it?”), a poetic substitute filled with quiet yearning. Kumiko channels this subtle emotional expression through the Mitsuro Hikime technique, crafting pieces that reflect unspoken connection, tenderness, and restraint. The collection evokes the soft intimacy of moonlight, an invitation to feel rather than declare, to notice rather than announce.
Information on commissions
All Goldsmiths’ Fair exhibitors welcome commissions. Don’t hesitate to contact this maker and start a conversation about commissioning a piece, unique to you. Examples of commissioning include transforming or combining old jewellery into new pieces, incorporating stones into new settings, or simply working together to create a bespoke piece in the style of this maker.
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