Manami Kyuta
Manami Kyuta is a Kyoto-based temple decorative painter and contemporary artist. Drawing on traditional polychrome techniques passed down through temple architecture and Buddhist decorative arts, she creates sculptural works that combine vivid color, intricate patterns, and expressive three-dimensional forms. Her practice brings traditional craftsmanship into contemporary art and spatial design, exploring how artworks can interact with the light, materials, and atmosphere of
architectural, interior, and hospitality environments.
In recent years, Kyuta has expanded her practice to include commissioned works for luxury resort hotels and other hospitality and
commercial spaces, collaborating with architects and interior designers
on site-specific projects.
Her work has been exhibited at the Biwako Biennale, Kyoto Prefecture New Artists Exhibition, and Art Fair Tokyo. In 2019, she participated in the Savoir-Faire des Takumi Project at Maison & Objet in Paris.
Education
Graduated from Kyoto Municipal Dohda Senior High School of Arts
2005 — Began apprenticeship at a temple decorative painting studio
Awards
2018 — NHK Kyoto Broadcasting Station Director’s Award
2018 — Grand Prize, 14th Oita Asian Sculpture Exhibition
Traditional Technique x
Contemporary Form
Kyuta’s contemporary works begin with the techniques and visual language of traditional temple decoration.
In temple painting, color, pattern, and ornament are carefully layered onto architectural surfaces. Kyuta brings this meticulous process into three-dimensional form, applying vivid pigments and intricate patterns to sculptural objects rather than walls or architectural interiors.
The transformation is not simply a change of scale or medium. By moving the language of temple decoration into organic, sculptural forms, Kyuta creates a different relationship between traditional craftsmanship and the contemporary viewer.
Her works retain the intensity and precision of traditional decorative painting while taking on a distinctly physical presence. The forms can feel familiar yet slightly unexpected—at once playful, human, and subtle unease.
Through this shift from architectural surface to sculptural form,
a traditional technique finds a new context in contemporary art and design.
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