Koji Ishii (1946-1996) was a leading figure in contemporary Japanese glass art, distinguished by his original patterning techniques and richly expressive use of color. He graduated from the Department of Crafts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 1971. While working as a product designer at Toyo Glass Co., Ltd., he continued his personal artistic practice in parallel, before dedicating himself fully to creative work from 1977 onward. In 1991, he established the Ishii Glass Studio Aomori Workshop in Aomori Prefecture, drawing on the natural environment and local character of northern Japan as the wellspring of his art. He produced a prolific body of work, and also made his mark in product design through commissions including the bottle design for "Iichiko Silhouette" and AGF's "Sumi-yaki Coffee."

Ishii's work is characterized by vibrant color and lyrical expressiveness. He articulated his artistic philosophy through the phrase shi · ki · sai — poetry, season, and color — and created works centered on the nature of Aomori and the passage of the four seasons. Alongside his vivid use of colored glass, he developed a series of original decorative techniques including Sairetsu-mon, Saika-mon, and Kansho-mon, through which he expanded his expressive range. His body of work — evoking the light, wind, and seasonal landscapes of the north — has left a distinctive mark on the history of contemporary Japanese glass art.

Glass art traces its origins to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, and reached remarkable heights of technical and artistic refinement in medieval Europe, most notably in Venice. In Japan, glassmaking techniques spread during the Edo period, and from the modern era onward the craft developed along its own path by absorbing Western methods and sensibilities. Within this tradition, Ishii drew deeply on the rich natural environment of Aomori, creating numerous works that take the four seasons and the character of northern Japan as their central themes. He expressed with great chromatic richness the shifting light, snowy landscapes, and blooming flowers of the region, forging a vital link between local nature and the possibilities of contemporary glass expression.

Selected Awards

1985
Bottle design for Sanwa Shurui "Iichiko Silhouette"
Japan Package Design Competition — Special Award

1987
Bottle design for AGF "Sumi-yaki Coffee"
Japan Package Design Competition — Excellence Award