What do a multicolored porcelain shoe, a leaf-inspired vessel, a textured organic sculpture, and a floral jacket and skirt ensemble have in common? That was the question that led Megan Nauer, Curatorial Assistant for Fashion Arts & Textiles, and I to develop the theme for the museum’s newest rotation on contemporary Japanese design.

Thanks to the efforts of the museum patrons who generously loaned or gifted the ceramics forming the foundation of this display, we had one immediate answer to our question: all 11 works on view were created by female artists. These ceramists and designers represent the recent generations of Japan’s female creators who have been increasingly gaining wider recognition for their artistic impact (despite having always played vital roles in ceramic production and fashion design). As the museum’s 2019–2021 exhibition, Women Breaking Boundaries, expertly demonstrated, displays focused solely on the work of female artists continue to be essential in generating more equitable representation within the arts.

Understanding this need, Megan and I wanted to take our display a step further, presenting a theme that would equally celebrate these artists for their work as vital innovators in their respective fields and their roles as female creators in these historically male-saturated spaces. Looking closely at each artist and their groundbreaking contributions, we started to think about the idea of “influence.” Through their work, all 10 featured artists have tremendously influenced contemporary Japanese design. Some, like Rei Kawakubo and Sakurai Yasuko, have invented distinctive construction techniques. Other artists in the display, including Matsuda Yuriko and Tomita Mikiko, have challenged the boundaries of their field by developing unique combinations of traditional and signature decorating techniques.

As we examined their influence, we began noticing how each artist’s work, in turn, often revealed multiple influences on their practice or perspective. To create the exceptional works on view, these contemporary creatives have taken inspiration from their teachers and peers, their surroundings and the natural world, their reinterpretations of tradition, and even their own rich interior lives. In other words, there is a duality at play here: each artist simultaneously has influence and is influenced. Understanding this encourages us to consider the multifaceted experiences of these contemporary female artists and even reflect on our own creative pursuits through a new lens.

Influence(d): Female Innovators in Contemporary Japanese Design is on view in Gallery 136 through January 2026.