Naoko Sato was born in Nagano, Japan in 1964 but moved to England to pursue her art studies. Her fascination with glass as a medium led her to specialise in glass design, obtaining her degree from Middlesex University, followed by an MA from the Royal College of Art, London, in 1999. Sato, who exhibits regularly, is renowned for her innovative approach to glass art, drawing inspiration from the fluidity of textiles.
Glass artist Naoko Sato was born in Nagano, Japan in 1964 but came to England to pursue her art studies. She began her artistic path with a foundation course at Central St Martin's School of Art, London, in 1993. Her fascination with glass as a medium subsequently led her to specialise in glass design, obtaining her undergraduate degree from Middlesex University, followed by her MA from the Royal College of Art, London, in 1999. She established her studio in London in 2000, supported initially by a Crafts Council setting-up grant and, subsequently, by a Woo Charitable Foundation Bursary in 2001.
Sato is renowned for her innovative approach to glass art, in particular, taking inspiration from the fluidity of textiles. Her body of work, notably the series Transitions showcases her unique ability to capture the essence of movement typically associated with textiles —ripples, sways, and folds— within the rigid form of glass. This interest is not merely confined to fabric itself but extends to how it responds to an underlying structure, such as the human body, reflecting a deep-rooted fascination with the dynamics of clothing and movement. Sako explains, ‘I have always been interested in the way clothes find their shape on the human body. I love watching a woman with a pleated skirt walking by, creating a wonderful movement’ (Bonhams). Sato’s passion extends to dance, which significantly influences the elegance and fluidity evident in her glass sculptures. Sako's technique involves a complex, multi-stage kiln-firing process, starting with a 'lost wax' casting, followed by extensive cold processing, including polishing, and potentially multiple firings to stretch and shape the glass into its final form. This method is not only time-consuming, with pieces spending up to three weeks in the kiln, but also fraught with risk, due to the increased possibility of fracturing with each heating cycle. Her glass vessel with horizontal ridges, titled Transition 39 (2002, Crafts Council Collection) exemplifies this meticulous approach.
Sato has exhibited regularly in the UK. In 20022 she presented work alongside Japanese designer Tomoko Azumi and potter Takeshi Yasuda in Unfolding at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. In 2004, she contributed to the Lustre exhibition at Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery in Carlisle, which featured diverse works ranging from sculpture to studio glass by nearly 40 artists from across the UK, including renowned figures like Suresh Dutt and Peter Layton. In the same year, she held her first solo exhibition, Transitions, at the ZeST Gallery, London. More recently, she participated in Maker’s Eye: Stories of Craft at the Crafts Council Gallery (2021), showcasing over 150 objects selected by 13 craft makers from the Crafts Council Collections. In the UK public domain, Sako's work is represented in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Crafts Council, and Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.