Beneath the quiet moonlight and the whisper of flowers lies a world of ethereal beauty—a world brought to life by Kumiko Kihara, a jeweller who channels the delicate grace of traditional Japanese arts into her contemporary creations. Based in the UK but raised in the cultural heart of Kyoto, Kihara's artistry is shaped by a lifetime steeped in both ancient and modern Japan.
Kihara’s meticulous craft, along with the centuries-old art of kumihimo braiding and the subtle philosophy of ma (間), infuses her jewellery with an almost otherworldly softness, as though her pieces are not metal at all but rather brushstrokes or petals caught in motion.
In her new collection, "Whisper of Moonlit Flowers With You," Kihara has crafted pieces inspired by an ancient story of love unspoken, where the moon bears silent witness to an affection almost too delicate for words. As she prepares to debut her collection at Shine 2024, the Goldsmiths' Centre’s prestigious showcase for emerging talent, Kihara’s work stands as a testament to the quiet power of craftsmanship, where nature, tradition, and emotion are forever entwined.
A Legacy of Inspiration: Family, Creativity, and Early Beginnings
My aunt was a shamisen player and she taught me how to play this instrument, a type of Japanese guitar. She also wore a kimono for work, and her hair was always styled immaculately with beautiful kazashi hairpins. She always smelled wonderful, and I remember the noise the tassels on her hairpin made. It served as a great source of inspiration for me and it’s where my fascination with jewellery began.
I always wanted to create something with my hands. I went to an art university with the intention of becoming an illustrator, as I dreamed of being both a children’s book author and an illustrator. However, I ended up working for a company that specialised in jewellery and bag design. My role was predominantly in jewellery design, about 80% of my time, with the remaining 20% focused on bags. This experience gave me a glimpse into jewellery making, which sparked an interest in creating my own jewellery. Despite this newfound passion, I still wanted to pursue illustration, so I went to Barcelona. There, I stumbled upon a small gallery showcasing contemporary jewellery collections. I had never seen anything like it before. I was captivated and thought, "I would love to create something like this."
I spoke with an artist at the gallery who was the head of the jewellery department. He invited me to visit his studio, which was located in a beautifully renovated old hospital. It was there that everything began for me. I asked him if I could work with him, and he invited me to join his class. He taught me the importance of developing contemporary jewellery and emphasised that it's not about making many pieces, but about focusing on creating one significant piece that represents you. This advice became engraved in my thought process, and marked the beginning of my journey into contemporary jewellery.
Then I went into the chasing and repoussé studio. There was a smell of pine resin, the roar of the fire and the sound of everyone hammering. It was very basic, they had a little pitch, the chasing punches and a sheet of metal. It made me realise that I could do this, that I could make something 3D with a hammer and a little pitch. They asked me if I wanted to help with a chaser who did a lot of odd jobs. It was rows and rows of people, souvenir-type work rather than anything personal, but the work was exquisite and beautiful.
Tactile Poetry: The Dance of Texture and Form
From the beginning, I have always wanted to incorporate texture into my jewellery, even though I didn't initially know how to achieve it. I experimented with different techniques to bring out textures in my pieces. When I was studying chasing and repoussé, my tutor advised me to smooth out the surfaces, but I liked the hammer strikes because they added a sense of history and captured how I felt at that moment, adding another layer of meaning to the object.
I also started using the Mitsuro Hikime technique with beeswax, which naturally creates its own texture. This technique allows me to follow the material's inherent qualities. Not long ago, someone told me that I rely too much on the material. However, I like to think that my jewellery is a result of the movement I create, supported by the texture. While the beeswax provides the initial texture, I add additional elements to the final product to give it an extra dimension. The flowing movement of my pieces are influenced by my calligraphy, but creating natural forms is quite challenging. Even though the goal is to make something appear natural, with a fluid quality, achieving designs that flow organically can be tricky.
Nature gives me a lot of inspiration. I’m drawn not to the object in front of me, but behind it. So for example, if there’s a famous, beautiful building, I noticed the tree next to it, covered in moss. Then I feel so grateful that I’m able to notice its little notches and imperfections when everybody else is taking photos of the building. When the scene comes into my head, and then I would try to interpret that scene into my jewellery.
Whisper of Moonlit Flowers With You: A love Story in Precious Metals
The collection is titled Whisper of Moonlit Flowers With You. The inspiration behind this name comes from a story about a Japanese author who was translating an English novel into Japanese. He encountered the phrase "I love you," which, given the conservative nature of Japanese society 150 years ago, was challenging to translate. Japanese people wouldn’t say “I love you” to each other directly back then. He thought about how to translate this phrase, and realising that couples were walking the street together at night, under the moon, he translated that instead of saying "I love you," one could say, "It’s a beautiful moon, isn’t it?" to imply a desire to share that moonlit walk again with someone. It was a way of saying: “I love you”.
So from that story, I developed my own narrative. One cold evening, as I took a late-night stroll, the moon cast a light over the mist-covered ground. The moonlight softly illuminated the flowers and leaves, creating a delicate glow that was subtle yet captivating. This gentle shine, unlike the overwhelming brightness of the sun, made the experience feel special and worthwhile. This essence of understated beauty and subtlety is what I aimed to capture in the collection.
Learning Mitsuro Hikime: A Journey of Patience and Perfection
My pieces are made using the Mitsuro Hikime lost wax technique. I mix beeswax and pine resin, to create wax which is then used to develop the form through lost wax casting. After casting, I fuse 24-karat gold onto the sterling silver surface. My favourite pieces in the collection using this technique are the candleholders, because they were so difficult to make. It was a very very long process. When I light the candle inside the candleholder, it just glows, like a flower under the moonlight. While some of my creations, feature this gold and silver combination, my necklaces incorporate a Japanese braiding technique called Kumihimo, traditionally it uses for kimono belts with pure silk. I have adapted this technique to metal, which I braid with 32 very fine strings of 0.2-millimeter silver wires.
I was very fortunate to receive a grant from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), which offered me the opportunity to meet a master of the Mitsuro Hikime technique in Japan. Before receiving QEST scholarship, I was learning Mitsuro Hikime technique over email. I said to my tutor “My wax isn’t like yours, I can’t replicate what you’re doing”, and he asked me “Have you checked your hand temperature? Have you checked the temperature of the atmosphere?” He didn't actually tell me how to do things, he was guiding me in quite an obscure way. Now I understand that this is because the wax is so temperamental. It depends on the temperature of your fingers or the room. If it’s too cold or too hot, that will change how the wax behaves. One day I’d be doing very well, and then the next day I’d be doing not so well. I wasn’t just becoming proficient in the technique, he was also showing me a different way of learning. I realised it’s something you have to do by yourself and I came to enjoy it.
In the end, I didn’t manage to meet the master himself in person, because he passed away from lung cancer. I was talking to his daughter without realising. She was pretending to be him as she knew I’d be very upset. Then I went to his studio in Japan, she directed me to a little shrine on his workbench, and so I just prayed. This journey of learning Mitsuro Hikime is quite something. It is considered a dying technique but it seems like suddenly, quite a lot of people are trying their hand at it. When I did Goldsmiths’ North last week, some people recognised I was using Mitsuro wax in my work. They told me that they’d tried the wax but failed and hadn’t touched it since. You have to be very patient with this wax. I’d like to be the one to show others the potential of the technique.
The Art of Kumihimo: Tradition Woven with Innovation
The Kimono has been worn in Japan for thousands of years, and kumihimo is a very ancient technique. It’s used for the Obi, which is the belt of the kimono, for both practical and decorative purposes. Even if you’re wearing a very simple kimono, the Obishime (thinner belt over the main belt-obi), created through kumihimo, will give the kimono a sense of individuality. So if you were a lady who wasn’t very confident and didn’t want to wear an elaborate kimono, but you could still wear different colours or styles’ kumihimo.
At first, I was using silk to create kumihimo, and then I tried using very fine silver wire to create different patterns. It’s the movement of the bobbins that makes the different patterns. At the moment, I’m only using one pattern, as I’ve not perfected any others yet with the silver wire, but it’s such a versatile technique. I’d like to do wider patterns to perhaps make a statement necklace.
In the Space Inbetween: the Japenese Philosophy of Ma ((間)
My preferred design concept relates to the space between objects. In Japan it’s called Ma. When I'm talking to someone, there might be a pause, and that pause can be necessary. Sometimes, comedians use a comedic beat -a pause -that makes a joke funnier, and that's a kind of Ma. If you're a dancer, holding a position slightly longer might enhance the beauty of the dance itself.
In my jewellery, I try to find that Ma. For example, when I create a form, I am always conscious the empty space around it. This empty space is just as important as the form itself. Without that space, the form cannot really exist. I want to show that the empty space is equally significant. Sometimes, I apply gold leaf on the inside of silver pieces instead of the outside. This way, people have to lift it up to see it, but when they do, it shines subtly as they move, instead of being obvious from the front. It's a more passive way of revealing the gold.
A Surprising Audience at Goldsmiths North
I found the Goldsmiths' North Fair quite confusing because of the range of people who were drawn to my work. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there was quite a wide variety of people interested in my pieces. A young woman bought one of my rings, and she was really happy, saying, 'I'm going to wear it forever!' That was really kind. One lady even said, 'Oh, when I wear your ring, I feel calm,' which was the best compliment I’ve ever received. Usually, my audience tends to be from an older generation, but this younger crowd was a pleasant surprise.
Another lady who was interested in my candle holders said she wished she could see them lit with candles. I joked, 'I'm sorry, but I don't want to be the next Guy Fawkes, who burn down the Hall!' Overall, I was really happy that people were interested and curious about my work, asking things like, 'How did you make this?' and commenting on how soft it felt. It was a lovely show, and I had many conversations with people, which was really nice. I haven’t done many big shows before, and this was my first major one, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the reception was great.
Gratitude and Growth: The Shine 2024 Experience
I'm just overwhelmed by the support we've been receiving through Shine. I couldn't believe it when I was chosen for the programme -it was such a massive honour in my life. I kept pinching myself! I'm so grateful to be associated with the Goldsmiths’ Centre.
I’ve been learning so much and realising that how little I knew, while the expectations were much higher. Learning all of this in person has been priceless—it’s just incredible. I thought I knew a bit of the techniques, but I didn’t, and the depth we’re going into is amazing. Meeting other jewellers and silversmiths and understanding their perspectives has been another invaluable experience. So far, everything has been great, and I honestly couldn’t wish for more.
During the Shine programme, I am doing the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair and Made London, then I'm hoping to do slightly bigger fairs next year and another Goldsmiths North if they accept me again. I would like to apply for Goldsmiths’ Fair if I can.