Collection: CRAFTED - Voices of the Creators vol.2

Shedding Light on the Art of Overglaze Painting: NIEI’s Challenge

When one hears the term “ceramic artist,” it is often assumed that a single maker carries out every stage of production—from kneading the clay and shaping the form to firing and decoration.

However, the tradition of Kyoto ware, and in particular its most representative style, Kiyomizu ware, follows a slightly different path.

Nurtured in the thousand-year-old capital of Kyoto alongside refined cultural practices such as the tea ceremony, Kyoto cuisine, flower arrangement, and incense appreciation, Kiyomizu ware evolved through a highly sophisticated system of specialization. In the pursuit of refinement, each stage of production came to be entrusted to artisans devoted to their specific craft.

“I have loved drawing and thinking about color ever since I was a child,” says Niei, who has long worked as an etsuke-shi—a specialist painter responsible for decorating Kiyomizu ware.

As the name suggests, etsuke involves applying color, images, and decorative motifs to ceramic surfaces. In Kyoto, different painters specialize in different techniques, but the process that captivated Niei most is overglaze painting (uwaetsuke), in which pigments and gold are applied to vessels after the final firing, creating richly ornate surfaces.

After training at a renowned kiln, Niei stepped away from the field due to marriage and childbirth. When she decided to return, she chose independence.

“I love this work deeply, but returning to life as a craftsperson while raising children is not easy. So I began to think about creating an environment where women painters—including myself—could continue working throughout their lives.”

She first launched a daily-use brand focused on overglaze painting. Then, in 2021, Niei founded NIEI, a project dedicated to exploring the artistic and decorative potential of Kiyomizu ware to its fullest.

NIEI consists of four accomplished painters: Niei, Sōsha, Kohaku, and Kyōka. By establishing their own platform, these painters transformed their professional world. Work that had long remained anonymous came into the spotlight, and appreciation quickly grew for each artist’s individuality and expressive richness.

Creating Works That Move the Heart of the User

“I want to create works that move the heart the moment you hold them—like listening to music or looking at a painting,” Niei explains.

“If something catches your attention at first glance or simply feels right, I think that’s proof that the emotions of the maker and the user are resonating.”

While each member of NIEI brings a distinct sensibility to their designs, the works of its founder Niei stand out for their vivid color palette and brushwork that balances delicacy with boldness.

Underlying this style are the color sensibilities she absorbed during her childhood in Europe, as well as traditional techniques that she practiced “again and again, until they became part of my body” during her years of training at a kiln.

One of her signature techniques is kakizume, in which the same motif is painted repeatedly, maintaining consistent size and color density. Her cherry blossoms, in particular, are exceptional—petals spreading across the surface as if in full bloom, exuding a subtle sensuality, almost as though they carry a fragrance.

The process demands patience and time, yet each line seems infused with Niei’s deep affection for overglaze painting and the quiet joy she finds in the act itself.

The Aesthetics of "Kenzan Utsushi"- Learning from the Great Masters

The ceramic artist whom Niei most admires is Ogata Kenzan, an Edo-period potter and painter active in Kyoto. A key figure of the Rimpa school, Kenzan is celebrated for his bold and dynamic designs—overlapping maple leaves, splashing streams, stylized chrysanthemums and camellias. Alongside his teacher Nonomura Ninsei, he is regarded as one of the two great masters who established Kyoto’s tradition of polychrome overglaze decoration.

“In the world of ceramics, there is a practice known as utsushi, in which artists pay respect to the works of great predecessors by learning from and incorporating their styles,” Niei says.

“Each time I take on such a challenge, I receive a powerful stimulus. At the same time, I feel as though I am being asked, ‘Will my own work be able to move the hearts of people in the future?’—a question that tightens my resolve.”

Her Kenzan utsushi works range from plates depicting the Tatsuta River with flowing water and autumn leaves, to square dishes painted with free, expansive brushstrokes. While clearly inspired by Kenzan, they also carry Niei’s own sensibility and the atmosphere of the present moment—pieces that invite you to pick them up and imagine serving food or sweets upon them.

Most are one-of-a-kind, created intuitively and improvisationally, capturing raw emotion in the moment of painting.

Looking to the World - Confidence Gained in New York

With an eye toward global expansion, Niei has actively promoted NIEI through multilingual social media and participation in overseas trade fairs and markets in France, Italy, Dubai, and beyond. She also made an early transition to lead-free pigments in compliance with international safety standards, refining techniques together with her workshop as a unified team.

These efforts bore fruit in the autumn of 2025, when Niei was commissioned to produce tableware and ceramic objects for a newly opened sushi restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Her work included sushi stands, large serving platters, sake vessels, and pairs of maneki-neko welcoming prosperity.

Being invited to the reception and receiving praise directly from chefs and guests became, she says with a smile, “a great source of confidence.”

Often described as “the clothing of Japanese cuisine,” tableware plays an essential role—and Kiyomizu ware, long used to embellish Kyoto cuisine, exemplifies this ideal. Niei’s works likewise gain striking presence when filled with food, enhancing the dining experience through harmony of form, color, and seasonality.

Opening New Paths Through Creative Challenge

Niei was awarded the President’s Prize at the Kyoto Craft and Design Competition: TRADITION for TOMORROW 2024–2025, organized by the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design.

Her winning piece, titled “Hologram,” is a large bowl measuring 33 cm in diameter, radiating brilliance through intricate arabesque and West Asian–inspired patterns painted with extraordinary precision.

“The concept was inspired by the idea of digital reproduction,” she explains.

“The motifs within each frame are not identical; they gradually transform through repetition. That process reminded me of how culture spreads along routes like the Silk Road. I wanted to give form to a beauty in which different colors, cultures, and values intersect and harmonize.”

Explaining why she chose the character kage (shadow) for her artist name, Niei reflects:

“Color is born from light, and light gains its strength through shadow. If my work can express the depth of color and light, I would be happy.”

In Hologram, waves of light seem to shimmer and shift within the bowl, appearing and fading at random. In an age when AI and technology make almost anything possible, Niei remains committed to the value of work made by hand.

What she envisions is the future of a new Kiyomizu ware, one that only an overglaze painter can create—and expectations for her continued evolution are high.

NIEI

NIEI is a Kiyomizu ware brand founded in 2021 by Niei, a master overglaze painter of Kiyomizu ware and a certified traditional craftsperson.

Based in the Higashiyama–Sanjō area of Kyoto, NIEI operates a combined studio and shop, presenting vessels adorned with elegant and refined overglaze decoration.

Currently, NIEI brings together four overglaze painters: its founder Niei, along with Sōsha, Kohaku, and Kyōka. Each artist works with a free and individual sensibility, making the discovery of richly distinctive pieces one of the brand’s great pleasures.

[NIEI Exhibition Schedule]
January 6, 2026 (Tuesday) ~
Venue: Tassel Hotel Sanjo Shirakawa (103-3 Oide-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto)

January 30th (Thursday) - February 11th (Tuesday), 2026
Venue: Art Salon Kura (1-287-1 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto)