Keisuke SANO
Mimika is a pair of earrings finished using raden, a traditional Japanese lacquer technique that has been passed down for centuries. Raden is known for its long history—beautiful surviving examples date back as early as the 8th century—and involves delicately inlaying the luminous nacre taken from abalone or green turban shells. Its iridescent, mysterious glow has captivated people across generations.
Yet raden also holds the potential for new forms. Tradition is not something to be preserved unchanged, but rather something that continues to evolve. Mimika embodies this philosophy, standing as a crystallization of ancient beauty fused with contemporary sensibility. Suitable for both everyday wear and special occasions, it adds a quiet yet dignified radiance to the wearer.
The artist behind Mimika, Keisuke Sano, is a lacquer artist who inherits Japanese tradition with exceptional technical mastery and deep respect. He sees it as his mission to elevate the proud techniques of raden and lacquer art—refined over centuries—into expressions that resonate in the modern world.
Mimika is imbued with the aesthetic values and spiritual sensibilities carefully preserved by generations before him, alongside a strong desire to evolve tradition into new forms without compromising its essence. In addition to his independent practice, Sano has collaborated with international watch brands, sharing the appeal of Japanese lacquer art with a global audience. By reinterpreting Japanese beauty through a contemporary lens, he continues to expand the expressive possibilities of lacquer art.
Born in 1994 in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
Graduated from the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2017, and completed the Master’s Program at the same university in 2020.
Since 2020, he has been based in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, where he continues his artistic practice.
Award
• 2017
65th Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation & Completion Works Exhibition – Arakawa Ward Mayor’s Award
• 2017
6th Sobachoko Art Open Call Exhibition – Special Prize
• 2018
Tokyo University of the Arts – Ataka Award
• 2018
54th Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition (Crafts Division) – Grand Prize
• 2018
7th Sobachoko Art Open Call Exhibition – Grand Prize
• 2018
Itami International Craft Exhibition – Encouragement Award (Oimatsu Prize)
• 2018
AAC2018 (Art Meets Architecture Competition) – Excellence Award
• 2020
Mitsubishi Estate Award
• 2020
Japan Lacquer Craft Association – Lacquer Craft Scholarship Award
• 2020
Tokyo University of the Arts – Mori Award
• 2024
4th Japan Traditional Culture Grand Prix – Excellence Award
Public Collections
• Yui no Mori Arakawa Library, Arakawa City, Tokyo
• Denver Art Museum (DAM), USA
Solo & Group Exhibitions (Selected)
• 2020
Lacquer Art Exhibition: Natsuko Kamigaki, Keisuke Sano, Isao Chiba
(Gallery Tanaka, Ginza, Tokyo)
• 2020
Arts in Marunouchi (Marunouchi Building, Tokyo)
• 2020
Works of Keisuke Sano (Solo Exhibition)
(Gallery Sukiwa, Nishi-Ogikubo, Tokyo)
• 2020
The First “Place of Creation” (Ohara School Hall, Omotesando, Tokyo)
• 2021
Celebrating with Lacquer (art space morgenrot, Omotesando, Tokyo)
• 2021
Next Generation Exhibition (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo)
• 2022
Kachōfū – A Pure Aspiration (Mitaka & Kichijoji, Tokyo)
• 2022
2nd Matsuzaka Culture Street
• 2022
9th Nitten Exhibition – First Selection
• 2022
The Five Directions: Lacquer Through East Asia
(Los Angeles County Museum of Art – LACMA)
• 2023
Ceramics and Lacquer: Two-Person Exhibition – Tetsuo Watanuki & Keisuke Sano
(Gallery FROM, Maebashi)
• 2023
Geishin Exhibition (Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza)
• 2023
KANSEI Art Exhibition Kyoto – “Sky of Hope”
(Sennyu-ji Temple, Kyoto)
• 2023
KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2023
(Hyatt Centric Kanazawa)
• 2024
Beyond the Horizon of Lacquer Art
(Gallery Tanaka, Ginza, Tokyo)
• 2024
Praise of Life (Enishira Stream Gallery)
• 2025
Keisuke Sano Lacquer Art Exhibition
(Gallery Gion Minoshi, Kyoto)