Collection: Yutaro Kijima Bio

Glass Artist

With an otherworldly, ethereal levity, the objects create a perfect balance in the hand and in space.

Japanese glass artist Yutaro Kijima was born in 1964 in Tokyo.  Glassblowing started as a hobby at a young age, sparked by the suggestion of his late music teacher father.  Starting with weekend classes, his craft has since evolved to encompass a complete mastery of all aspects of glass making.  He started his glass blowing career in 1992.

In 1994, Kijima attended the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State in 1994 to study further, where he was mentored by Venetian artist Lino Tagliapietra and Rudy Gritch, a pioneer of kilnwork.  After returning to Japan in 1996, he opened his glass blowing studio, the Seijusha Glass Studio, on the premises of his home in a quiet area of Oizumi Gakuen-cho in Nerima, Tokyo. 

Known for his exquisite and otherworldly forms, Kijima creates all of his pieces one by one and sculpts each piece without a mold.  All is hand blown and hand polished twice with a diamond polisher to achieve the fine opacity.  Coining his signature technique “Sakumon” (“saku”, to cut and “mon”, traditional Japanese pattern)  his motifs are derived from traditional patterns of Kimonos, called the “monyō”.  As he sculpts and polishes each piece, the resulting forms are one-of-a-kind and masterfully made.