Makiko Kitagata 北形槙子

Makiko Kitagata is a Japanese glass artist from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Colour lies at the heart of Kitagata' s practice. Working mainly with blown glass, she creates drinking vessels, plates, flower vases and sculptural objects filled with playful combinations of pink, blue, green and yellow. Some colours meet in bold contrasts, while others dissolve into soft gradients. Through this free approach to colour, she gives glass a lively and expressive character without losing its natural transparency.

One of her best-known bodies of work is the Colour Lace series, inspired by traditional Venetian glass techniques. Coloured glass rods are heated, twisted and stretched into delicate lace-like canes. These patterned elements are then arranged and incorporated into the blown form. As the lines expand along the curves of the vessel, the pattern changes with every viewing angle, revealing the precision and complexity behind its light appearance.

Kitagata also creates the more playful "poppin'" series, known for rounded forms, wavy outlines and candy-like colour combinations. Although her technique requires careful control, the finished pieces feel spontaneous and cheerful. Rather than pursuing strict uniformity, she allows colour, line and shape to develop their own rhythm. Her work brings energy to transparent glass and adds a small but vivid moment of happiness to the everyday table.