about me

Ikuko Iwamoto is a Japanese artist based in London, working primarily with porcelain, Urushi (Japanese lacquer), and found materials. Her practice explores transformation, repair, and the relationship between nature and human intervention.

Originally trained as a ceramic artist, Iwamoto is increasingly combining porcelain with traditional Japanese lacquer techniques, creating sculptural works that blur the boundaries between ceramics, wood, and organic forms. Rather than concealing damage, she is interested in how repair can reveal new histories and meanings.

Recent bodies of work investigate environmental change, biodiversity loss, and humanity’s impact on the natural world. Her ongoing series Ghosts from the Sea reflects on overfishing, plastic pollution, and the fragility of marine ecosystems, while newer works incorporating Urushi explore the life cycles of trees, materials, and cultural traditions.

Alongside developing her own contemporary language with lacquer, Iwamoto has undertaken specialist training in Japan with Urushi practitioners, researching how this sustainable material can be integrated into contemporary ceramic sculpture.

Iwamoto’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at Collect (Somerset House), the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and the London Art Fair. Her work is held in public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum and Manchester Art Gallery. In 2025 she was awarded a QEST Scholarship to further develop her practice through research into traditional Japanese lacquer techniques.

Her work seeks to create a dialogue between Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary environmental concerns, celebrating both the resilience of materials and the beauty found in transformation.

IKUKO Iwamoto CV