Ikuko Iwamoto was born in Japan in 1971. First educated at Tezukayama College in Japan, she immigrated to London in 2001 to continue studies at Camberwell College of Art and the Royal College of Art. Her work is known for its meticulous craftsmanship and unique aesthetic, employing slip-casting techniques to create intricate textures inspired by the microscopic world, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary materials.
Ceramicist Ikuko Iwamoto was born in Japan in 1971. She began her art education at Tezukayama College in 1990, where she attended the Crafts and History (Ceramic) course under the influential mentorship of Asuka Tsuboi. Iwamoto's training under Tsuboi was comprehensive, encompassing traditional wheel throwing and evolving into the creation of hand-built clay sculptures. This foundation not only honed her technical skills but also expanded her perception of clay's potential. Her passion and talent for ceramics led her to become an assistant to her ceramics tutor, while also teaching ceramic design at other colleges.
In pursuit of further education and growth, Iwamoto moved to London, England in 2001, following her tutor's recommendation, to initially pursue a BA in Ceramics at Camberwell College of Art, graduating in 2004. She subsequently honed her ceramic skills at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, where she completed her MA in Ceramics and Glass in 2006. It was during her time at the RCA that Iwamoto began to explore the potential of slip casting techniques using plaster moulds, a method that would become central to her artistic production.
Iwamoto's work is celebrated for its meticulous craftsmanship and unique aesthetic. She employs a slip-casting technique to create the main body of her pieces, with every mould handcrafted and every decoration, including spikes and dots, individually applied to achieve her signature intricate textures. She drills dozens of holes into the surface, into which she inserts double-ended clay spikes, securing them with slip. This method is reflective of her desire not just for visual engagement but for a tactile exploration as well, inviting viewers to physically interact with her work. These textures often draw inspiration from the microscopic world, reflecting Iwamoto's fascination with cells, genes, organic forms, and the invisible forces of sounds and music. Her choice of porcelain as a medium not only underscores the delicacy of her subjects but also highlights her exceptional skill in manipulating the material to bring her creative vision to life. The fragility inherent in Iwamoto's creations, particularly evident in the nerve-wracking process of kiln packing, underscores the delicate balance she maintains in her practice.
In addition to traditional techniques, Iwamoto incorporates unconventional materials, such as coiled telephone cables, metal wires, and hypodermic needles, into her sculptures, adding layers of complexity and modernity to her work. Her artistic practice is a testament to her innovative approach to ceramics, merging traditional craftsmanship with contemporary themes and materials. Her minimalist colour palette, favoring the natural white of porcelain, highlights the sculptural quality of her work without distraction. She has also begun to integrate antique objects with her distinctive spiky porcelain forms, breathing new life into handcrafted items that carry their own unique histories and characters. Focusing on everyday functional objects from the past, such as domestic tools for the garden and kitchen, and even ancient accounting tools like abacuses and measures, Iwamoto adds an exciting extra dimension to these pieces, enriched by the application of gold lustre. Curator and art historian Stephen Feeke commented that Iwamoto’s work is ‘just totally original, with a reference to art history in a very interesting way, it’s surrealism, [referencing] people like Cornell, and yet it feels utterly, utterly, original in its use of ceramic and its use of mixed media’ (In Conversation with…Ikuko Iwamoto). This project underscores her commitment to exploring the boundaries of ceramics and her relentless pursuit of innovation.
In 2009, Iwamoto received the Ceramic Review Prize for Innovation at the RCA's Ceramic Art London exhibition and, in the same year, she participated in the First British Ceramics Biennial in London. Michael Stewart singled out her work in Ceramics, Art and Perception noting, ‘Iwamoto's delicate monochrome porcelain pieces are successful on every level. The viewer is struck by their allusions to natural forms and one can not help but be curious as to how they were created. […] The shadows cast by the pieces added an extra dimension to the installation, which was the most memorable of the show […]’. According to Tony Birks, her ‘immensely time-consuming creations […] take the viewer into the undersea world of a bleached coral reef. Her work is immaculately finished, disturbing but so frail (Birks 2010). Further acclaim came in 2019 when she was awarded the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize by London gallerist Cynthia Corbett. Iwamoto is a frequent exhibitor at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. In 2016 she held a solo show at Sidcot School's Arts Centre, Winscombe, Somerset. She has also shown her work inn group exhibitions at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2013); Manchester Art Gallery (2015); Geffrye Museum, London (2017) and the Embassy of Japan in the UK, London (2021). In the UK public domain, Ikuko Iwamoto's work is represented in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and Manchester Art Gallery.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Ikuko Iwamoto]
Publications related to [Ikuko Iwamoto] in the Ben Uri Library