Meet Keiko Kubota – Miura

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keiko Kubota – Miura a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Keiko, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

A friend of mine, an art dealer who seeks valuable works at auctions in New York to send to Japan, once shared an interesting story. On days when exceptional pieces are available, he feels excited even before arriving at the auction site, convinced that those days will yield remarkable works. It’s not just about pieces by well-known artists; even works by unknown creators are appreciated and sold at good prices. Regardless of whether he wins the bid, he feels inexplicably happy on those days.

Listening to him, I became convinced that material objects hold a kind of energy. You might not believe me, but I think that excellent works of art captivate viewers and are cherished for decades or even centuries. The only way I can explain this phenomenon is by suggesting that these creations possess an energy that transcends conventional understanding.

I have embarked on a long journey to discover my work ethic. During this time, I explored the subconscious as well as the energy and power of materials, which allowed me to immediately grasp the essence of this story. I recognized that this was exactly what I had been searching for. Creating a work of art from metal takes considerable time. The repetitive process of hammering the metal all day, annealing it, and then hammering it again resembles the training practices of Buddhist monks at temples. The stronger the intent infused into the artwork, the more of that energy will remain in the piece long after I am gone.

I believe that my thoughts will continue to resonate in my works, conveying messages to future generations. If I can imbue my creations with positive thoughts, those sentiments will spread forth; if they carry negative thoughts, the works may ultimately be discarded as garbage after my death. Whether they become treasured items for collectors or end up as refuse, I feel it is the responsibility and mission of the artist to act as a parent to their creations.

Even if I never achieve fame or recognition, my desire is to keep creating works that carry positive energy forward. To me, that is my work ethic.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I was born in Japan and grew up in Tokyo. From an early age, I loved making art—whether three-dimensional or two-dimensional. Encouraged by my parents, I studied art privately and won various prizes at public exhibitions. I always envisioned becoming an artist, which led me to art college, where I initially studied sculpture before being accepted into the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts. There, I relearned the fundamentals of art and was drawn to the fascinating qualities of metal as a material. I majored in metal engraving in the crafts department, where I mastered techniques rooted in the traditional Edo metal engraving style. While the world of traditional crafts often prioritized preservation over innovation, I gained a solid foundation in skilled techniques.

Since my student years, I have been commissioned to create public artworks. However, I struggled to find deeper meaning in my work. Disillusioned with the male-dominated art world in Japan, I traveled to New York, where I encountered vibrant and authentic artists. This experience inspired me to explore my own potential and pursue a master’s degree in the United States. There, I developed a more conceptual approach to three-dimensional art. The rigorous critiques and philosophical discussions deepened my understanding of art, teaching me not only technical skills but also the importance of the underlying concepts.

I moved to New York in 1987. Initially, my limited English forced me to rely on observing people’s expressions and body language, which revealed discrepancies between their words and thoughts—often unnoticed even by themselves. This inspired me to explore the complexities of the subconscious in my art. I began expressing the duality of invisible minds through my work and delved into the broader subconscious that defines human existence.

In my Subterranean Soul series, I sought to represent the forms of the subconscious—a subliminal, invisible world beneath the surface. Through this series, I realized that at the core of our subconscious, we are all connected by shared emotions and a universal energy. This belief in a cosmic force—whether called the power of the universe, nature, or God—led me to start the Planetary Plants series. Using plant forms as symbols of natural energy, I expressed the unseen but continuous vitality inherent in life.

Daily meditation has heightened my awareness of being sustained by the universe’s energy. Recently, I have come to perceive the world as multidimensional, with layers of time and space interwoven. For the past 20 years, I have created jewelry and sculptures exploring this theme of universal energy—energy that transcends dimensions and exists as a kind of thought within matter. Through my work, I hope viewers can sense this connection to the unknown universe.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted me to rethink modern civilization and its impact on the planet. I felt a strong need to advocate for harmony with nature, leading me to launch the Save Our Planet initiative. Through exhibitions and lectures, I raise awareness about protecting the Earth. My Save Our Planet medal was selected as the commemorative medal for the U.S. delegation to the FIDEM 36th World Congress in Tokyo in 2021. Additionally, my self-portrait—a plant bud coexisting with the coronavirus—won the Grand Prize at the 2022 American Medal of the Year Award from the American Medallic Sculpture Association.

For over 35 years, I have lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York, creating a wide range of works, from jewelry to metal crafts, medals, sculptures, and outdoor monuments. My works are part of public and corporate collections, including the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in NYC, the National Metal Museum in Memphis, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art in New York, Pirkkala Sculpture Park in Finland, Shugen Temple in Japan, and Seibu Amusement Park in Japan. Across different forms, my art consistently explores the energy of the universe, striving to express its transitions across dimensions of time and space.

In addition to exhibiting internationally, I am committed to fostering the next generation of artists through workshops, lectures, and mentoring. I also manage het Labo Atrium in Tokyo and het Labo Music and Art Gallery in New York, which feature my works and emerging young artist exhibitions. If you’re in the area, I invite you to visit and experience the energy of the universe through my work.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1, Constant Self-Reflection
When I was younger, I often fell from scaffolding while working on projects, resulting in broken bones, cut fingers and various injuries. I took this as a sign that I needed to slow down and reflect on myself. This realization taught me the importance of self-reflection. I started meditating every morning, and gradually, my injuries decreased.

During meditation, I focus my mind to connect with the energy of the universe and receive its messages. I also learned that by carefully thinking about my work, visualizing it, and verbalizing my ideas before starting, I could create stronger and more meaningful works. This approach allows me to pour my heart and soul into my creations.

I always strive to improve myself because I believe that being an artist means living a life of personal growth. My work is the result of this improvement in my heart and soul. I constantly remind myself that without bettering myself, I cannot create truly good works.

2, Be Positive About Everything
Everything that happens in life teaches you something, so there is no such thing as a purely negative experience. Even when something appears negative, I try to think about what I can learn from it and approach it with a positive mindset.

When you accept that everything that happens to you is ultimately your responsibility, life begins to move more smoothly. Blaming others for your circumstances only holds you back, while taking ownership empowers you to grow and progress.

3, Don’t Be Self-Centered
Self-indulgent work will not resonate with society. To be an artist and a professional, you must first consider what you can do for the world and what message you want to convey to society.
I always ask myself how I can contribute to society with my abilities and what my mission is. By focusing on the impact of my work on others, I ensure that my creations have meaning and value beyond my personal interests.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My family. My father was a scientist and university professor, and he was a very strict, traditional, and typical Japanese father. I left Japan because I had a longing for the art world in America, but I think that wanting to escape from my strict father was also one of the reasons I left.

In order to gain my father’s approval, I always had to speak logically and convince him. When I decided to study art seriously and pursue a life in America, my father was strongly opposed to my plans. However, because I had been trained to think logically and articulate my thoughts clearly, I was able to convince him, and he eventually allowed me to go.

Even so, I went to America without my father’s full support and had to fund my journey with the money I had saved as a student. When my funds nearly ran out, I became very worried. But I think my determination not to lose to my father motivated me to persevere, even without his help. This determination became a major driving force in my life and work. Over time, I came to understand my father better. He had lost his own father (my grandfather) at a young age and had never experienced what a father’s role truly was. As a result, he tried to be a good father in his own way, which sometimes made him overly strict. I didn’t appreciate this when I was a child, but now I realize that being raised in such a disciplined environment has greatly benefited me.

After my father retired, he began researching the psychic world, including psychic communication, in a field that had rarely been studied from a scientific perspective. When he visited to a university in America while still living in Japan, I accompanied him as an interpreter. This gave me the opportunity to witness first-hand experimental research on psychic waves conducted by the physics department at Princeton University, which was an incredible learning experience for me.

Despite the many difficult times in my life, I am deeply grateful for my mother and grandmother. Although they were lived in Japan and we were far apart, their unwavering religious faith and positivity always inspired me. They believed in my potential, and even in moments when I felt like giving up, their faith in me helped me believe in myself and stay committed to living a meaningful and serious life.

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