Mari Ishikawa

Mari Ishikawa was born in Japan in 1964. She obtained a master degree of art at the Nara University of Education and subsequently studied jewellery making at the Hiko Mizuno College of Jewellery in Japan. In 1994 she moved to Munich where she has since been living, to study jewellery at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1999 she became Masterstudent and obtained her degree in 2001. She obtained the following awards and scholarships: two scholarships from the Munich Academy (1996/1998), the 8th Itami City Contemporary Craft Award in 1997, the Herbert Hoffmann Prize - Schmuck 2000 and 1st prize, Böhmler Art Award, Munich, in 2000. Her work has travelled around the world in solo and group exhibitions and is part of the collections of the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim (D), the Hiko Mizuno Collection, Tokyo (JP) and the Grassi Museum, Leipzig (D). Ishikawa's main inspiration in her jewellery-making process stems from her home culture. The "relationship" (En in Japanese) is a recurring theme in her work. The relationship between form and material, between personal thought and the surrounding world, between emotion and the finished piece. Red is also frequently used, as it has various symbolic meanings in Japanese culture, such as the sunset, sacred places, ceremonies, a bond between two people. The materials used also make strong reference to her home country. She avails herself of a range of materials such as Japanese kozo paper and Japanese lacquer combined with silver and pearls, in finished pieces that resemble lace, knots and wire structures. Each piece develops its unique character and language.