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Concept

KOYUKI SAKAMOTO

from Fukui JAPAN

坂本幸雪

Koyuki Sakamoto was born in Fukui Prefecture with a Japanese mother and Korean father.

She is a MIKO, a shrine maiden, serving a God in Japan.
God does not mean the only one in Japan.
It is believed that Gods live in even the formless elements such as water, sky, and light.
All deities receive awe and respect for their existence.
In Shintoism, it is believed that a god exists in every part of nature, and it is also believed that each person is a god and that we are all connected to each other.
She is also influenced by Japanese culture, where each person is considered a god.

With her mother, she made sweets that made her friends very happy in her childhood. Those experiences made her into a pastry chef.

In 2008, she won first place in the first Sweets Koshien competition in Japan.
She discovered the world of sugar art, which involves decorating sweets with sugar.
In 2008, she was recognized as a Sugar Artist at a contest in the UK, where she created a new art technique called “Sugar Painting” using sugar.

In Japan, sugar confectionery is used at shrines as a gift to the gods.
Her art is made as an offering to the gods as an expression of gratitude.
Viewers will be surprised to find that they are painted with sugar and discover new emotions along with it.

Her art performance, also, is presented especially with the help of the elements of music.

Sugar has a sweet aroma and a three-dimensional effect when squeezed, which are not found in other painting materials.
The audience may have an unprecedented experience.

Sugar painting is one way of sugar arts that makes us fun visually and olfactively.

Dynamic canvas arts as you wish
Delicately and intricately layered icing
KOYUKI’s sugar arts are only one which allow you to enjoy both.
Currently, I accept orders for custom-made artwork and perform specific sugar painting at various locations in Japan and abroad, mainly at shrines and companies.
On the first day of every month, I visit a shrine to receive prayers.
Furthermore, a shrine, which is special place makes my inspiration heightened.
With the atmosphere, the nature and the invisible energy, in addition of my own ideas and images, I create my work.
On the other hands, I studied at Morinomiya Nohwangi Shrine and also serve as a shrine maiden.

What is a Sugar Artist?

Icing cookies are a typical example of sugar art, and although there are many private icing art classes, high cost of the tools and lesson prevent people from enjoying casually.
While it has a history of more than 600 years, sugar art without icing cookies is not well known in Japan. One of the reasons of this is caused that the history of western confectionery is still young and in the middle of development. In fact, overseas, there are already craftsmen, specializing in decorating, called “cake decorators”. The distinguishment between them and the patissier is clear and well known.
KOYUKI originally started to sell and perform an inedible art with Icing by powdered sugar and egg white .
No special tools are needed and anyone can enjoy drawing as they like with sugar only.
Sugar artist KOYUKI is the embodiment of it.

”What do I really want to do, what do I really love?”
I came across Sugar Art while struggling with these thoughts.

I was fascinated by the range of decorating techniques and imagining designs, and won my first prize in a contest recommended by my teacher at the time.
My parents and friends were delighted, and I recalled the excitement that I had felt at the Sweets Koshien.

In the same year, I won Bronze in the Cake International sugar art contest held in the UK which I took on the challenge of crowdfunding to participate in.

When I was wondering what to do next, I met a dance artist, Saori Kanda. I was fascinated by her performance and the atmosphere that she gave off, and my longing for performance was amplified. As a result of it, I held my first solo exhibition at a shrine with the cooperation of people who support my dreams and goals that cannot be fulfilled by myself.
I love the shrine as a place which we can gather our thoughts in, believe and show our true appearance in, from the experience of being helped many times by visiting every month.
Dedication of sugar art works with a company crest by the plan of Hashirimizu shrine in Kobe.
Then, I performed a live sugar art performance at a shrine using icing with sugar cream, first in the world.

MOVIE

World Art Dubai 2023
Live Paint Performance

World Art Dubai 2023
Workshop

KOYUKI SAKAMOTO
IMAGES

Gallery

Concept

KOYUKI SAKAMOTO

from Fukui JAPAN

Solo Exhibitions and Performances

2023

Sugar-paint performance, Uto Shrine, Aomori, Japan
ART＆SOUND FESTA 60th, Hotel Mount Fuji ,Yamanashi, Japan
Japan Expo Exhibition, Parc des expositions Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris, France
MATSURI, Parc floral de Paris, Paris, France
“Re:movement” Hanshin department, Osaka, Japan
World art Dubai, Trade Center, United Arab Emirates

2022

“Re:stare” Hankyu department store, Osaka, Japan
“Re:grow” INNOCENTURE, Kobe, Japan
“Re:sparkle” Hankyu department store, Osaka, Japan
“MY INSPIRATION” Featured on TV CF, organized by TV Osaka, Osaka, Japan
World art Dubai, Trade Center, United Arab Emirates

2021

“Re:Bloom” Hankyu department store, Osaka, Japan

2020

World art Dubai, Trade Center, United Arab Emirates

2019

“Re:View” Hashiudo shrine, Kobe, Japan
Keyakokuryu Shrine, Sugar-art performance, Fukui, Japan
Uto Shrine,Sugar-paint performance, Aomori, Japan
Tatsuki Shrine, Sugar-paint performance, Aichi, Japan
Hashiudo Shrine, Sugar-paint performance, Kobe, Japan

2018

Japan Expo Exhibition, Parc des expositions Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris, France

2017

Cake Decoration Class Wilton Fukui open, Fukui, Japan

2016

Convenience sweets produce,Tokyo, Japan

Group Exhibitions

2023

Japan Contemporaries Series 2, ”BITTER SWEET” curated by Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato, Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, USA

2022

”HEALING ART” Artston Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

Awards

2019 61st Christmas Cake Contest, Sugar Art Division Grand Prize, Kobe, Japan

2018 Cake International, small decoration Division Bronze Award, Birmingham, UK

Sugar Craft Contest , Piping Award, Tokyo, Japan

2015 Sugar Art EXPO Bronze Award, Kobe, Japan

2014 Sugar Art EXPO, Bronze Award, Kyoto, Japan

2008 1st Sweets Koshien, Tournament Winner, organized by BS FUJI TV, Toyo, Japan