Philippine Manago Inspires Winning Piece at Hokkaido Ceramic Exhibition
Ms. Tomoko Sumi’s winning artwork, Youkou no Minori.
The Philippine Embassy in Japan congratulates Japanese porcelain painter, Ms. Tomoko SUMI, whose ceramic masterpiece inspired by Philippine mangoes, received the Best New Artist Award and ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Sapporo Award at the 54th Hokkaido Ceramic Open Exhibition on 21-26 July 2026 at the Sapporo Citizens Gallery.
The award-winning work, entitled Youkou no Minori (Sunlight Fruit), delicately evokes the naturally bright glow of Philippine mangoes, drawing inspiration from Ms. Sumi’s memories of her frequent visits to the Philippines. The piece employs the Japanese traditional style of kutani porcelain painting, a type of pottery originating from Ishikawa Prefecture that is renowned for its bold and vivid colors and overglaze decoration.
“Watching the mangoes glowing beneath the brilliant midday sun and the warm golden light of sunset, I came to feel that they were like little suns themselves. I wanted to express their warmth, vitality, and beauty through the traditional art of Kutani porcelain painting,” Ms. Sumi said in explaining her artwork.
Ms. Sumi receives the Best New Artist Award and ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Sapporo Award at the 54th Hokkaido Ceramic Open Exhibition.
The harmonious blending of a beloved Philippine fruit with a cherished Japanese artistic tradition in Ms. Sumi’s artwork is a fitting tribute to the boundless possibilities of the deepening Philippines-Japan friendship as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year.
Philippine mangoes are also well known in Japan for their distinctive sweetness and are widely enjoyed in products such as dried mangoes. The Philippine Department of Agriculture has discussed revisions of export work plans for mangoes with the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishes during the 2nd Philippines-Japan Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries (JCAF) Meeting on 02-03 July 2026 in Tokyo.
With 20 years of experience in porcelain painting instruction, Ms. Sumi specializes in both Japanese and European painting styles, and advocates greater appreciation of porcelain painting in the Philippines and Japan through workshops and exhibitions.
Mabuhay ka, Sumi-sensei!
