Memories treasured in glass
- Sonoko's creations serve as protective spaces for personal memories
- She is inspired by the landscapes and sensibilities she grew up with in Japan
- She hopes her pieces show that beauty can be found in everyday life
Sonoko Matsuda creates glass boxes that she casts, engraves and polishes herself. She began working with glass at Tama Art University, and completed a master’s degree at Tokyo University of the Arts. Sonoko began with glassblowing, but later moved to casting techniques, which allow for a slower, more reflective creative process. Her main body of work, Boxes of Time, consists of glass boxes that serve as small, protective spaces for personal memories and meaningful moments. “Life is not always bright, but moments of light exist, and the Boxes of Time are designed to quietly protect those moments,” she says. Sonoko hopes her work helps people realise that beauty is not out of reach, but present in everyday life. Inspired by Japan’s natural environment, her pieces reflect landscapes, culture and a way of living in harmony with nature.
Interview
- Why did you create the Boxes of Time collection?
- I created the first one for myself, to store things that I no longer use but are very important to me. I noticed that everything I put in the box was connected to time: past, present and future. The box serves as a way to hold these memories physically, just as I hold them in my heart.
- Which stage of your process do you enjoy the most?
- I like polishing. At university, I once had an assignment to polish the base of a vessel. Even after it was graded, I kept returning to it until I was pleased with the outcome. Although I was not naturally skilled, working until I was satisfied taught me how to find my own way forward.
- What is a life lesson you learned from glass casting ?
- I have learned that the dedication I put into something will never betray me. It is a gift to find something challenging that I love doing, as I do not mind spending the time and effort to do it.
- Is there a moment in your career that you will never forget?
- One day, I was speaking with a client who told me they were looking for a box to keep the ashes of a loved one. They said that when they saw my Boxes of Time, they felt they had finally found the right one. In that moment, I truly felt that everything I had done was worth it.
Sonoko Matsuda is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2013
Where
Sonoko Matsuda
