Raised in Kyoto, now based in Oxfordshire, young Kumiko was surrounded by ancient temples, shrines, and a rich history of arts and culture. Traditional workshops filled the streets, and the simplicity of Japanese culture always intrigued her. Working first as a jewellery designer in Japan, where her projects included designing a brooch for a former Japaness Empress, Kumiko went on to study jewellery design in Barcelona, under Ramón Puig Cuyás, and then in Pforzheim, Germany. Whilst there she felt that the reliance on technology was causing a loss of tactile feeling. This led her to explore processes that could only be done by hand. These suited her designs and philosophy, where every hammer-strike and stretch of beeswax has meaning.

Kumiko has exhibited her work in events around the world including Goldsmiths’ North and at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. She recently received an eco-award from AGAATI Foundation, as well as a scholarship from QEST, that enabled her to learn the Mitsuro Hikime wax technique from a master in Japan.