Artist
Noe Kuremoto
Noe Kuremoto is a ceramic artist who makes everything by hand using simple tools. She was born in Osaka, Japan, and graduated in Fine Art with First Class Honours from Central Saint Martins College of Art. She works and lives in London with her family, including sausage dog Lassie.
She’s known for playful sculptural work that takes the form of functional wares. Her pieces mix child-like simplicity with contemporary sophistication, and incorporate her background in Fine Art and design with her cultural heritage.
Read 'In The Studio With Noe Kuremoto'
Noe's Style
Noe takes inspiration from traditional Japanese ceramics and themes but puts a deeply personal and modern spin on each piece. Her work is bold in both style and subject matter, whilst also retaining a subtlety and mysticism which makes it so powerful and unique.
Each series is an ode to a feeling or a way of life. For example, her Haniwa Warrior Series references traditional ritualistic Japanese funerary sculptures, yet speaks of what it means to be “a warrior” today, specifically a female one. Each piece, powerful and mighty in their stature, is an ode to the woman who has bravely pursued a career doing what she is passionate about, despite social and financial pressures. This stems from her own experience, taking the leap to become a full-time artist, whilst also supporting a growing family. Poems accompany her pieces.
She writes: “For years I was afraid to become a full time artist. Afraid to voice my honest view of the world. Afraid to sacrifice the security and comfort of my day job. Afraid to admit it was killing my soul. Afraid of confrontation. So I stayed agreeable - to avoid it, at all costs. I did it long enough that I could no longer hear my own voice - the voice that said what I really want to do is make art…”
"I hope every piece I make helps my sons to see the world as a beautiful place. I want my ceramics to be like a beautiful dream that my hands, fire and clay turn into reality." - Noe Kuremoto
AVAILABLE ARTWORKS
Shop by Collection
Feb Drop 2023
Drop 5 - Winter 2022
"The Shimekazari is a traditional Buddhist wreath made out of rice straw, fern and Daidai orange. These are my interpretation of ancient wreath Shimekazari to welcome the new year’s deity. The deity brings abundant harvest and good health to your family. A family became more and more important as I got older. I also realized how difficult to keep your family together. Family can be my strength as well as my weakness. Recent years, I started to take this Shimekazari ritual seriously and this is how this collection was born." - Noe Kuremoto, SHIMEKAZARI
Drop 4 - Autumn 2022
Drop 3 - High Summer 2022
"If you ever have been to Japan, you probably have encountered the mysterious Daruma dolls. These round paper-mache dolls are everywhere. Legless and armless, they also start life eyeless. The eyes are left intentionally unpainted, so that the owner may begin the Daruma Process. For the Daruma doll is a traditional Japanese talisman that works to help you actualize a goal in your life." - Noe Kuremoto, Daruma
Iwashi
"In Japan we have Setsubun festival. Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring. When we were kids, we helped making a door decoration Hiiragi Iwashi, literally ‘holly sardine’ is a cooked sardine head impaled on a holly branch. My mother used to source these fish bones from our local sushi shop. We believe that demons which brings illness does not like the strong smell of sardines and they fear getting their eyes poked by the sharp points on holly leaves." - Noe Kuremoto
Dogu Ladies
"The Dogu Ladies are mysterious female figurines from prehistoric Japan (14,000-400BC approx). With big eyes, accentuated large breasts and wide hips, they are widely held to be symbols of fertility, a promise of safe delivery for baby and mother, hope for the continuation of life." - Noe Kuremoto
Satori
"When Japanese Mountain Gods appear as children, they are known as Satori. Satori can read your mind. They can speak your thoughts faster than words fall from your lips. Should they hear you lie, they might kill, or even eat you. From an early age, I knew what their story meant - that every lie you tell brings your soul a little closer to death. In Japan, the death of your soul is worse than death itself." - Noe Kuremoto
Haniwa Warriors
"My Haniwa series are inspired by the traditional clay figures buried with the dead during the Kofun period of Japan, in the belief the Haniwa would protect souls in the after life. My hope is that my Haniwa will protect our souls in this world." - Noe Kuremoto
