Japanese contemporary and antique COLLECTION

Masuda Gallery specialises in traditional and contemporary Japanese textiles, ceramics, prints, and decorative arts. Masako Masuda has curated a collection of pieces that showcase Japanese craftsmanship, traditional techniques and unique design principles in both historic and contemporary contexts.

HISTORY

Founder Masako Masuda (b.Kyoto) inherited her passion for collecting from her grandfather. A pioneering exporter of Japanese silks and kimonos, he established a successful trading business, Chobishi, in Kyoto in the 1910s where he sold sourced high quality fabrics and wares alongside his own personal designs.

In the 1980s, Masako worked for Konjyaku in Kyoto, a Japanese antique and vintage textile boutique. It was here that she honed her expertise – catering to collectors and curators, as well as textile, fashion, and costume designers.

In 1995 Masako moved to Sydney, Australia. There she joined Freeland Gallery, a leading ceramics gallery specialising in Australian post-1950 studio ceramics, Japanese ceramics, prints (Hanga) and folk art, and British, Korean and New Zealand ceramics.

Wanting to create her own sanctuary for people to come and talk about design, style and culture, in 2010 Masako established Masuda Gallery. The gallery’s first location was on Surrey Street in Darlinghurst. In 2017, the gallery moved to it’s current location at Space 145 in Glebe, sharing space with Sue Vail’s collection of Pacific and South East Asian art.

Masako draws from her heritage and knowledge when sourcing one-of-a-kind works by contemporary Japanese artists and craftspeople, as well as antiques and collectables.