Biography
Satomi Kawai, born in Wakayama, Japan, is a contemporary visual artist who creates adornments, drawings, printings, and performances. She has been living in Iowa City, IA, USA since 1999, where she started academic art education and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Iowa in 2006. Satomi has been exhibiting her art nationally and internationally, including at SIERAAD (Amsterdam), JOYA (Barcelona), and Munich Jewelry Week. One of her rings is in a permanent collection by Alice and Louis Koch at the Swiss National Museum in Zürich.
Satomi carries minimalistic aesthetics, derived from Japanese traditional art practices: flower arrangement, tea ceremony, and calligraphy. She focuses on layers of personal femininity and environment to generate a response to the question “what does it mean to be a woman.” Integral to the process of discovering a true answer to the inquiry, Satomi invites comments from diverse communities to participate. All responses, personal and collected, inform her unique works.
Artist Statement
My art speaks of various aspects of womanhood, based on my personal life journey and general ideas of being a woman in a culturally diverse community. While deeply looking into my inner self, I discovered new self and cultural roots as a Japanese woman who has been transplanted to the US.
Grown up in Japan where woman’s virtue is modesty, obedience, and harmonizing to her family and the society, my new life in Iowa City has given me opportunities to examine and explore the qualities of the womanhood. It includes physical, mental, emotional, and psychological layers as well as muscular appearance. The changes of external environment and time have broadened my horizon to have the idea of womanhood more flexible.
I mostly create wearable objects in which I capture various moments of being a woman. I also create mixed media drawings, mono-printings, and more recently performances. Layering in printing and drawing gives me an opportunity in thinking my concepts on intricate woman systems. Performance is a new challenge as increasing new body languages to become connected to observers in space. This interdisciplinary approach helps me to understand more about myself as a transplanted visual artist.
My artistic methodologies include the basic metalsmithing technique and traditional woman’s crafting: stitching and felting. Material utilization varies from (sterling silver/ fine silver with its natural and oxidized colors, copper, and soft steel) to other materials (fabric, thread, wool, hair, animal bones, used leather, and upcycled materials). The compositions tend to be asymmetrical, derived from Japanese flower arrangement practice. Also, the form and image coexist with subtlety and sometimes boldness in simple, subtract and abstract manners, which are often regarded as Japanese aesthetics.
“My home is my body. My body is my home.” I observe natural environments in daily life as being surrounded by rich nature, and I always feel strong tie to the nature. With the notion of being a transplanted person, I have unlimited international cultural belongingness as the time passes by.
CV
Satomi Kawai (adornment, printing, drawing, performance)
Nationality Japanese
Born in Wakayama, Japan
Lives and works in Iowa City, IA, USA
EDUCATION
2006
M.F.A. degree in Jewelry and Metal Arts, School of Art and Art History
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
2005
M.A. degree in Jewelry and Metal Arts, School of Art and Art History
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
CONTINUING EDUCATION
2008 Spring – 2013 Spring
Mono Print, Advanced Lithography, and Graduate print workshop (by Professor Robert Glasgow, Fall semester), School of Art and Art History
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
2009
Summer workshop “nOw sOurce,” (by Professor Ruudt Peters)
Ravenstein, the Netherlands
2007
Intensive Summer Course at Alchimia (a private school of Contemporary Jewellery)
Florence, Italy
TEACHING & OTHER RELATED EXPERIENCE
2018
“Initiation 2018/ Kallichoron,” Artist in Residency with a one-week workshop on story-telling, performance, and a ritual-dance, Athens, Greece
Slide presentation at Professor Monica Correia’s 3D design class, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
2012 Fall, 2011 Spring, 2010 Spring
Slide presentation at Professor Kee-ho Yuen’s classes; Graduate workshop, Advanced Jewelry and Metal Arts, Mold Making, and Introduction to Jewelry and metal Arts, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
2008 - 2012
Adjunct instructor, Jewelry: Metalsmithing I and II, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
2008
Slide presentation at Mixed Media class by Ben Anzelc, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (Fall semester)
2007
Slide presentation at Metals Graduate Workshop, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (Fall semester)
2006
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Jewelry and Metal Arts, Jewelry and Metal Arts, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (co-teaching, Fall semester)
Invited a Japanese metal artist, Minato Nakamura, professor and the owner of May Flower Atelier, Tokyo, Japan, to Jewelry and Metal Arts program, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA and assisted as a translator of her lecture and workshop
2005
Graduate Studio Assistant, Jewelry and Metal Arts, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (Spring semester)
2004
Invited a Japanese metal artist, Yasuki Hiramatsu, Professor Emeritus at the Tokyo National University of Arts and Music, Tokyo, Japan, to Jewelry and Metal Arts program, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA, and assisted as a translator of his lecture and workshop
HONORS & AWARDS
2010
Design in Jewelry Award, “Nature by Design: New Directions in Fiber & Jewelry,” national juried biennial exhibition, Larson Gallery, Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, WA, USA
2007
Juror’s Special Mention in Jewelry, “Iowa Crafts 38,” statewide-juried exhibition, MacNider Art Museum, Mason City, IA, USA (ring)
Honorable Mention, “Thirty-first Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition,”regional juried competition, Art Museum-RIFAE, Bergendoff Hall, Augustana College, Rockland, IL, USA (hollowware)
2006
Co-first Place, “S&AM Competition,” Jewelry and Metal Arts, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (ear-ornament)
2005
Honorable Mention, “Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2005,” Cheongju, South Korea (two rings and hollowware)
Invited to create two trophies for Motohiro Kisoi Award, International Rescue System Institute, Kawasaki, Japan
Second Place, “S&AM Competition,” Jewelry and Metal Arts, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (hollowware)
Honorable Mention, “Lois Jecklin Annual Metals Competition,” Jewelry and Metal Arts, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (necklace)
2004
First Place, “S&AM Competition,” Jewelry and Metal Arts, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA (hollowware)
PUBLICATIONS
“Rings of the 20thand 21st Centuries” by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson, Arnoldsche Art Publishers, Stuttgart, Germany, 2019
“Behind the Brooches: A Closer Look at Backs, Cathces, and Pin Stems” by Lorena Angulo, Schiffer Publishing, PA, USA, February 2014
“Showcase 500 Art Necklaces,” Lark Books, Asheville, NC, USA (Juror: Chughi Choo, photograph of a necklace), July 2013
“The Body Adorned,” the photo of a group of body ornament, Society of North America Goldsmiths, October 2012
“Madam Figaro Greece,” the photo of a model worn “Connection and Division Necklace,” December 2012
“Metal Element of Four Countries 2012; Korea/ Japan/ Taiwan/ U.S.A,” exhibition catalog, South Korea
“500 Metal Vessels,” Lark Books, Asheville, NC, USA (Juror: Fred Fenster, photograph of a hollowware)
“500 Earrings,” page 91 and 122, Lark Books, Asheville, NC, USA (Juror: Alan Revere, photographs of two ear ornaments)
“2006 Japan Jewellry Art Competition,” page 43, exhibition catalog, Tokyo, Japan (photograph of a ring)
“500 Necklaces,” page 386, Lark Books, Asheville, NC, USA (Juror: Marjorie Schick)
“The Art & Craft of Making Jewelry,” page 139, Lark Books, Asheville, NC, USA (Juror: Joanna Gollberg, photograph of a ring)
“Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2005,” page 26, exhibition catalog, Cheongju, South Korea, (photographs of two rings and hollowware)
COLLECTIONS
Ring, The Alice and Louis Koch Permanent Collection in the Swiss National Museum,
Zurich, Switzerland
Necklace, Olnick-Spanu Collection, New York, USA
Necklace, Fondazione Cominelli Permanent Collection, San Felice del Benaco, Italy
MEMBERSHIP
Klimt 02
Bluestockings Iowa City
ONE-PERSON EXHIBITION
2007
“Mimetic of Life”
Galleri Puckeln, Stockholm, Sweden
2006
“East Meets West; Meeting with America and Metalsmithing”
Wakanoura Art Cube, Wakayama, Japan
2005
“East Meets West”
M.C. Ginsberg, Iowa City, IA, USA
GROUP EXHIBITION
2021
(pending) “NUDA VITA II,” curated by Ilaria Ruggiero, A/dornment- Curating contemporary art jewelry, ABC Westside Galerie, at Munich Jewellery Week, Munich, Germany
2020
“Bluestockings Iowa City Collective,” Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
“By Women/ For Women,” Hudson River Gallery, Coralville, IA, USA
2019
“NUDA VITA - The practice of collective and political body,” curated by Ilaria Ruggiero, A/dornment- Curating contemporary art jewelry, ABC Westside Galerie, at Munich Jewellery Week, Munich, Germany
“Coming of Age,” juried show, the Adorned Spaces pop-up gallery at the annual conference of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Chicago, IL, USA
“NUDA VITA in Barcelona,” curated by Ilaria Ruggiero, A/dornment- Curating contemporary art jewelry, as off JOYA event, Artesania Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
2018
“Initiation 2018/ Kallichoron,” Galerie Florian Trampler, at Munich Jewellery Week,
Munich Germany
“Formations,” invitational two-person show by Crit Streed and Satomi Kawai, Gilded Pear Gallery, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
“MateriaMetamorphosis,” invitational group exhibition, curated by Susanna Maffini and Paola Stroppiana, Creativitiy Oggetti, Torino, Italy
2017
JOYA: Art Jewellery Fair, Santa Monica Arts Center, Barcelona, Spain
SOFA (Sculpture Objects and Functional Art and Design) Chicago, exhibiting at Charon Kransen Arts booth, Festival Hall, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA
2016
“ぐるりのこと (Gururi-no-Koto)” invitational two-person show by Liisa Hashimoto and Satomi Kawai, Espace 446, Osaka, Japan
“Material Girls,” invitational group show, Brockway Center, Brockway, PA, USA
2015
“SIERAAD Art Fair,” international jewellery design fair, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“Happy!” 25th Anniversary exhibition of Friends of Carlotta, Zurich, Switzerland
“Cooperation: Garnish” (collaboration necklace with Nikki Couppee) traveling exhibitions; Velvet da Vinci, Equinox Gallery, Baltimore Jewelry Center, Brooklyn Metal Works, Thomas Mann’s I/O Gallery
2014
“SIERAAD Art Fair,” international jewellery design fair, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2013
“SIERAAD Art Fair,” international jewellery design fair, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“Ferrous,” a collaborative juried exhibition by Velvet da Vinci, CA, and Carfthaus
2012
“Ho! Ho! Ho!” and “Adventure Box,” invitational participation in a Christmas group exhibition, Friends of Carlotta, Zurich, Switzerland
“Voyage 6,” invitational group exhibition, El. Marneri Gallery, Athens, Greece
“The Body Adorned,” on-line juried exhibition by Society of North American Goldsmiths, USA
http://exhibitions.snagmetalsmith.org/bodyadorned/satomi-kawai
“Behind the Brooch,” on-line juried exhibition by CraftHaus, USA
http://crafthaus.ning.com/group/behind-the-brooch
“Metal Element of Four Countries 2012; Korea/ Japan/ Taiwan/ USA,” Gallery Space Duru, Seoul, South Korea
“Hot under the Collar: a Survey of Contemporary necklaces,” Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Phoenix, AZ, USA
2011
“COLLECT,” contemporary Craft art fair organized by the British Crafts Council, hosted by Alternatives Gallery (Rome, Italy), Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom
“Sparkle Plenty 7: Oran/ism,” invitational group show juried by Dan Di Caprio, Quirk gallery, Richmond, VA
“From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio Jewelry,” invitational participation in a biannual group show, the society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, MA
“The third Iowa Guild Exhibition; Raising Expectations,” invitational participation in a regional group exhibition, LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln, NE, and Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (CRMA) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
2010
“Nature by Design: New Directions in Fiber & Jewelry,” national juried biennial exhibition, Larson Gallery, Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, WA, USA
“GALEX 44,” national juried exhibition, Galesburg Art Civic Center, Galesburg, IL, USA
2009
“Jewelry in Motion,” national juried exhibition by Gail M. Brown, Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA, USA (special event in a fashion show format, in connection with the Society of North American Goldsmith conference)
“The second Iowa Guild Exhibition,” invited to a regional group exhibition, the art salon, Figge Museum, Davenport, IA, USA (September-October)
2008
“2008 Japan Jewellery Art Competition,” international juried exhibition, Japan Jewellry Designer Association, Ueno-no-Mori Museum, Tokyo, and Itami City Craft Center, Hyogo, Japan
2007
“Craft Forms,”13th Annual international juried exhibition of contemporary craft, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA, USA
“Topeka Competition 28,” national juried exhibition, Alice C Sabatini Gallery, Topeka, KS, USA
“Thirty-first Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition,“ regional juried exhibition, Art Museum-RIFAE, Augustana College, Rockland, IL, USA
“Iowa Crafts 38,” statewide juried exhibition, MacNider Art Museum, Mason City, IA, USA
2006
“Craft Forms,”12th Annual international juried exhibition of contemporary craft, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA, USA
“2006 Japan Jewellery Art Competition,” international juried exhibition, Japan Jewellry Designer Association, Ueno-no-Mori Museum, Tokyo, and Itami City Craft Center, Hyogo, Japan
“Reinterpreting the Vessel,” national juried exhibition, Perimeter Gallery, Chicago, IL, USA
“Thoughts Materialized,” national juried students’ exhibition, Society of North America Goldsmith, Mars Gallery, Chicago, IL, USA
“Thirtieth Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition,”regional juried competition, Art Museum-RIFAE, Bergendoff Hall, Augustana College, Rockland, IL, USA
“GALEX 40,” national juried exhibition, Galesburg Art Civic Center, Galesburg, IL, USA
“12 x 12,” national juried exhibition, Todd Gallery of Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
“A Season of Art: Jewelry, Metalsmithing, and Sculpture,” Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA
“Mimetic of Life: Material Explorations/Objects for Contemplation,” two-persons show (Satomi Kawai and Jillian Moore), Art Gallery West, Art Building West, School of Art and Art History, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
2005
“Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2005,” international juried exhibition,
Cheongju, South Korea
“Topeka Competition 27,” national juried exhibition, Alice C Sabatini Gallery, Topeka, KS, USA
“Iowa Crafts: 37,” state-wide juried exhibition, MacNider Art Museum, Mason City, IA, USA
“La Petite VIII,” national juried exhibition, Alder Gallery, Coburg, OR, USA
“Creativity, Craftsmanship, Innovations,” group exhibition, Galleries Downtown,
Iowa City, IA, USA
2004
“Metals A-Go-Go”, national juried students’ exhibition, Society of North America Goldsmith, Florida International Museum, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
“Craft Forms,”10th Annual international juried exhibition of contemporary craft, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA, USA
“The University of Iowa and Kyung-Geum Metalsmith Association Exhibition” Kepco Plaza Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
“Creativity, Craftsmanship, Innovations,” group exhibition, Galleries Downtown,
Iowa City, IA, USA