ARTISTS / Rui Sasaki
Rui Sasaki was born in Toyama, Japan in 1984. She graduated from Bachelor of Arts Industrial, Interior, Craft Design, Musashino Art University, Tokyo in 2006. She then obtained a Master of Fine Arts Glass from Rhode Island School of Design in the United States in 2010. She has received many international awards such as the Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award, The Irvin Borowsky International Prize in Glass Art and Young Glass 2017. In 2019, she was also recognised by the award of Rakow Commission 2018, an annual grand prize presented by Corning Museum of Glass. This definitely witnessed the birth of the star in the glass art world.
Rui Sasaki seals plants between pieces of glass, creating a plant glass series named “Subtle Intimacy” that has lasted for more than ten years. Symbolising the vitality of plants, bubbles surround the plants together with sunlight, and thus the flowing heart can finally search for a peaceful destination.
EDUCATION
2010 Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, USA Master of Fine Arts Glass
2006 Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan Bachelor of Arts Industrial, Interior, Craft Design
Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan Certificate Curatorial Studies Program
AWARDS
2019 Award, Rakow Commission 2018, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, USA
2017 Prize, Young Glass 2017: The Glass Factory Residency Prize, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark
2016 First Prize, The Irvin Borowsky International Prize in Glass Art, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2015 Prize, 8th Annual Snow Design Exhibition, Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice, Japan
Prize, The 22nd Space Design Competition, Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan Fellowship,
The Satoh Artcraft Research & Scholarship Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
First Prize, Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award, Jutta Cuny-Franz Foundation, Dusseldorf, Germany
Artist in Residence, Glazenhuis, Lommel, Belgium Prize, International Glass
Prize 2015: Process, Glazenhuis, Lommel, Belgium Fellowship, Nomura Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
2014 Honorable Mention, The 8th London International Creative Competition, London, UK Fellowship,
Yoshino Gypsum Art Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
2012 Artist in Residence (invitational), Awashima Artist in Residence, Kagawa, Japan Bronze Prize,
The 1st International Biennale of Santorini, Venues in Pyrgos, Santorini, Greece
2011 Nominee, Saxe Award 2012, Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, USA
2010 Award, Glass Department Award of Excellence, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), USA
Nominee, Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship, RISD, Providence, RI, USA
SOLO AND DUO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Solo Exhibition “Rui Sasaki,” Gallery DiEGO Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan
2020 Solo Exhibition “Water Patterns,” Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, OR, USA
2019 Solo Exhibition “Residues from the Surrounding,” LightsGallery, Aichi, Japan Solo Exhibition “Corners as Lenses,” LightsGallery, Aichi, Japan Duo Exhibition “Nyctophilia,” Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark
2016 Solo Exhibition “Pluviophile,” Gallery S12, Bergen, Norway
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 "Glamour of Light - Glass Art Group Exhibition", TOUCH ceramics, Hong Kong
"Euphoria on tablescapes", TOUCH Ceramics, Hong Kong
2020 “Voice of Glass Collaborative,” Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
“Interaction: Souls in Synchronicity,” Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan
2019 “Glass Art Toyama 2019,” Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama, Japan
“New Glass Now,” Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, USA
“Art Fair Tokyo 2019,” Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
“ART NAGOYA 2019,” Hotel Nagoya Castle, Aichi, Japan
2018 “The World of Cryptogam,” Usaginonedoko, Kyoto, Japan
“KOGEI x Reisei,” Shiinoki Cultural Complex Ishikawa Prefecture, Ishikawa, Japan
“KOGEI Architecture Exhibition -Exploring the Possibilities of KOGEI x Architecture-,”
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Ishikawa, Japan
“Milano Vetro -35,” Castello Sforzesco, Milano, Italy
“Botanical Garden,” Notojima Glass Art Museum, Ishikawa, Japan
“Young Glass 2017,” The Glass Factory, Boda Glasbruk, Sweden/ The National Glass Center*, UK
2017 “Worlds KOGEI 100,” Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, Toyama, Japan
“THE COLLECTION,” Glazenhuis, Lommel, Belgium
“Young Glass 2017,” Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark
“The Poetics Of Weather,” Houen-ji, Ishikawa, Japan
“Interval between Nature and Artifact,” Art Stage at Hankyu Umeda headquarter, Osaka, Japan
2016 “FUNN,” Gallery S12, Bergen, Norway
“RISD Glass Film Festival,” Metcalf Auditorium, RISD Museum, Providence, RI, USA
“Whereabouts,” Glazenhuis, Lommel, Belgium
2015 “The Constellation TIGA,” Art House Oyabe, Toyama, Japan
“8th Annual Snow Design Exhibition,” Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice, Ishikawa, Japan
“Project 837,” Project PLASE, Baltimore/ VisArts, Rockville, MD, USA
“Taikouyama Biennale,” Toyama Prefectural Park, Toyama, Japan
“International Glass Prize 2015: Process,” Glazenhuis, Lommel, Belgium
2014 “Awashima Laboratory,” Awashima Artist Village, Kagawa, Japan
“BODY TALK,” Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark/ Glazenhuis, Lommel, Belgium
2013 “Young & Loving 2013,” Gallery S12, Bergen, Norway
“Art Project Ideas 2013,” Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan
“Setouchi Triennale 2013,” Venue in Awashima, Kagawa, Japan
“Art Fair Toyama,” Toyama, Japan (2013, 2014)
2012 “Art Fair Tokyo 2012,” Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
“The 1st International Biennale of Santorini,” Venue in Pyrgos, Santorini, Greece
“The 6th International Arte Laguna Prize,” Nappe of Arsenale of Venice, Venice, Italy