Creating Japanese Jewellery: Personal Expression and Memory

Kyoto Museum Explores the Evolution of Contemporary Jewellery in Postwar Japan

Jewellery should be more than a symbol of wealth or decoration—it can express personal identity, reflect emotions, and empower people to live with confidence and authenticity. This exhibition examines how artists have pursued these ideals through contemporary jewellery, challenging conventional perceptions of what jewellery can be.

The history of contemporary jewellery in Japan began to take shape in 1964 with the establishment of the Japan Jewellery Designers Association (JJDA), led by pioneering figures including Yasushiro Hiramatsu (1926–2012) and Yasuhiko Hishida (1927–1981), at a time when jewellery had yet to gain widespread cultural recognition in the country. Organized by the JJDA, the International Jewellery Art Exhibition, held at Seibu Department Store in Shibuya between 1970 and 1986, introduced European and American developments to Japanese audiences and promoted the idea that jewellery should be valued not only for its materials but also for its design and artistic expression.

From the late 1970s onward, Japan became increasingly exposed to works that treated the unique characteristics of jewellery as conceptual artistic media, echoing the ideas emerging in contemporary art. These works, now widely recognized as contemporary jewellery, questioned traditional notions of jewellery as a symbol of wealth or status while exploring the relationship between the wearer, the object, and the viewer.

International exchange further accelerated in 1993, when a joint exhibition involving institutions in Tokyo, Munich, and Amsterdam was launched under the leadership of Kazuhiro Ito (1948–1997) and Otto Künzli (b. 1948). This initiative fostered sustained dialogue between Japanese artists and leading international practitioners whose work embraced conceptual approaches to jewellery.

Today, Japanese artists have established a significant presence within the global field of contemporary jewellery. For many of them, conceptual jewellery has become not only an artistic practice but also a means of examining identity, culture, and the relationship between the individual and society.

Held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and designed by acclaimed graphic designer Atsuki Kikuchi, the exhibition presents approximately 350 works. Highlights include a major public presentation of pieces from the collection of Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry, exceptional works returning to Japan from Germany for the first time in nearly 50 years, and creations by leading contemporary artists.

By focusing on postwar Japan, the exhibition reconsiders the expressive possibilities of jewellery, demonstrating how objects worn on the body can serve as powerful vehicles for artistic expression, cultural reflection, and personal inquiry.