When we visited Ikumi Matsumoto’s atelier, what immediately caught our eye was a towering stack of books on the Silk Road.
In that moment, it was clear—Matsumoto pours her very soul into her craft. That quiet realization has stayed with us ever since.

This spring, Matsumoto set out on a journey along the Silk Road. The stone caves etched in her memory, the murals and sculptures encountered along the path stretching from West to East—each left a deep impression on her heart.

The works born from this inspiration seem to carry with them even the silent prayers of those who once lived in a distant age.

We invite you to experience this ethereal world woven between Matsumoto’s creations and a 130-year-old machiya townhouse—
a quiet encounter with the spirit of yugen.

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Exhibition Dates
June 6 (Fri) - Junel 6 (Wed), 2025
- No reservation required
- Closed on Wednesdays
- Hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Artist On-Site Dates
June 6 (Fri)  

Location
KYO AMAHARE @kyo_amahare
127 Aburaya-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8063
TEL: 075-256-3280
E-mail: kyo@amahare.jp

Ikumi Matsumoto × KYO TEAHOUSE

Tea gathering "Yugen"

In conjunction with the upcoming exhibitions of Shouya Grigg (Second Floor) and Yoshimi Taniguchi (First Floor), opening on Friday, April 11, KYO TEAHOUSE will host a special tea gathering, “Usurai”.

The word usurai—meaning “thin ice”—is a delicate and poetic expression, often used as a seasonal reference to the fleeting beauty of early spring. As the season shifts in Niseko, Hokkaido, where Shouya resides, we invite you to experience this moment through the exquisite vessels crafted by Taniguchi, reminiscent of thin ice itself.

This gathering offers a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the artists’ world and the inspirations behind their work. We warmly welcome you to join us.

Tea gathering "Yugeni" @sabo.kyo_amahare

• Vessels: Ikumi Matsumoto
• Tea: Kana Ogushi (KYO)
• Sweets: Konbuya Magobei
• Curator: Suguru Tokubuchi of Yorozu
• Guests: Ikumi Matsumoto

Date: June6 (Fri)
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Venue: KYO TEAHOUSE

Admission: 7,700 yen (tax included)
Reservations: Available Here

Payment: Please complete payment via online credit card at the time of reservation.
Note: Cancellations within 24 hours of the event will incur a 100% cancellation fee.

Enjoy the unique ambiance and thoughtfully curated menu created exclusively for this special evening.

Photo / Eri Masuda @massu_90
Styling / Megu Okazaki（AMAHARE）
Text / Kenichi Kaneko（AMAHARE）@amahare_kaneko

Longing

Ikumi Matsumoto’s creative inspiration stems from a deep admiration for the Silk Road and the people who once lived along its path.
As her reverence grows, so too does the depth of her expression.

Take her hakuji—white porcelain—as an example.
What once felt purely simple now carries a gentler presence, imbued with a quiet sense of age and time.

Scenes carved in kakiotoshi technique unfold with generous ease,
as if gently guiding us back to an ancient world.

Yugen

Through Ikumi Matsumoto’s hands, the memory of the Silk Road—held quietly within her—emerges in ethereal brushwork.

Faded murals painted by those who came before us, weathered by time, where earth and pigment slowly merge.
That same sense of harmony unfolds across the surface of her vessels.

The clay she developed over the course of more than a year holds the texture of ancient walls—
a texture born of devotion, perseverance, and no small measure of sacrifice.

We invite you to experience this world where past and present quietly intertwine.

Tabi-cha

Through her exploration of Chinese tea, Ikumi Matsumoto has come to deeply appreciate not only the tea itself but the culture and spirit that surround it. Tea has become a quiet joy in her own life as well.

Tabi-cha is a tea set composed of a gaiwan, chahai, and teacups—
a beautifully crafted ensemble that feels ready to accompany you on a journey along the Silk Road.

A collection not just for serving tea,
but for carrying the spirit of travel,
and the quiet richness found in each pause.

Chawan

During her years as an apprentice, Ikumi Matsumoto often worked on chawan—an experience that taught her just how challenging they can be to create.
Perhaps because of that, she had long hesitated to return to them.

And yet, for this very exhibition, she has crafted a chawan using her signature "mural-textured clay."

Its earthy, wabi-inspired presence, paired with her gently whimsical brushwork, invites conversation—
a piece that naturally draws people together in the intimacy of the tea gathering.

It will also be featured in our upcoming tea ceremony, YUGEN, held on the day of Matsumoto-san’s presence in the gallery.
We look forward to sharing this special moment with you.

AMART

AMART is an art initiative launched in 2021 by Amahare.

The inspiration came during the pandemic, when demand for tableware was rising—
yet we began to hear something quietly resonant from the makers themselves:
“I want to express more of myself.”

Balancing the desire to create and challenge oneself
with the wish to meet the expectations of customers—
many found themselves caught between the two.

And so we thought:
What if we offered a separate space, just for expression?

That was the beginning of AMART.

When we first met Ikumi Matsumoto, she shared,
“I hope to make not only tableware, but also vases and objects someday.”

From that moment, we knew—
if ever we were to hold an exhibition with her,
it should take place on the second floor of KYO AMAHARE,
curated under the concept of AMART.

This exhibition is a culmination of her new material, “mural-textured clay,”
and the profound inspiration she gathered on her recent journey along the Silk Road.

We invite you to experience Yugen,
as it unfolds through Matsumoto-san’s works
within the second floor of KYO AMAHARE,
and across the shared spaces of KYO AMAHARE and KYO TEAHOUSE.

Please look forward to this quiet and luminous encounter.