Laura Inghirami, journalist and advisor specialized in the jewelry sector, and Founder of "Donna Jewel", nterviewed, for the Cologni Foundation, the Masters who have been acknowledged as “MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts”, in the category: Jewelry - Silversmithing - Goldsmithing.

We are in Corso Como, Milan, in ​​​​​Natsuko Toyofuku's Atelier, a sophisticated place where the distant charm of Japan meets Milan and Western culture, with experimentation and artistic ferment. Here Natsuko Toyofuku, awarded with the title of MAM - Master of Arts and Crafts, shows us her hand-crafted creations in bronze and silver, sometimes enlightened by colored enamels and unusual stones. Contemporary, sculptural works, always out of the box: Natsuko Toyofuku doesn’t want to conform to the rules of classic jewelry, she rather wants to overcome them.

Natsuko-san has experienced a passion for beauty since she was a child. "My father Tomomori Toyofuku - says the artist - was a great sculptor. In the 60s he came to Italy from Japan for the first time to visit the Venice Biennale. He still didn't know he would stay for 40 years. Meeting Peggy Guggenheim was key: the famous collector decided to buy a sculpture of his, and he wanted to invest this money in his experience in Italy, staying longer than planned. Thus began the most important adventure of his (and our) life. Yes, I'm talking about us, because my mother Kazuko and I, still as a child, followed him. I often say that behind every great artist there is a great woman. And it was really like that for my father: my mother, a painter, represented a crucial support for him, both from a family and an artistic point of view. In fact, they were constantly confronting each other and her contribution to his work was very important”.

By attending Milan’s art scene, I was able to experience the enthusiasm of creating something new since I was a child, and as I grew up this philosophy became mine own

Inspiration can come from moments, details, from different disciplines. Especially at the beginning of my career, I was also fascinated by the minimal and clean shapes of Scandinavian and Danish artists

This is how Natsuko Toyofuku's passion was born, between an exhibition and another. “I was looking at the ladies and their jewels. They were jewels with new shapes, different from the classic ones. Those were the years of cultural innovation in Milan: the designers would dare and experiment with eccentric combinations of shapes and colors. By attending Milan’s art scene, I was able to experience the enthusiasm of creating something new since I was a child, and as I grew up this philosophy became mine own".

Natsuko's path as an entrepreneur began in the 80s, and since then it has brought her a series of satisfactions and achievements. “In particular, I carry small, daily joyful moments in my heart, such as watching people stop and look at my creations, for example. I remember my amazement when, in the 90s, I noticed that the people stopping by the window of my shop were mainly children. Children have no filters, they know how to grasp what is really creative without restrictions. This is why it was a great success for me to capture their attention."

The bond with the East is always strong and represents an essential element of Natsuko Toyofuku's creations. "I go back to Japan once a year. Living away from your own culture allows you to better appreciate its beauty, from a different perspective".Thus her hands give life to a unique aesthetic, a combination of influences both from Japan and from revolutionary Italian artists, such as Lucio Fontana and Giuseppe Capogrossi. And even more: "Inspiration can come from moments, details, from different disciplines. Especially at the beginning of my career, I was also fascinated by the minimal and clean shapes of Scandinavian and Danish artists".

When she starts creating a jewel, Natsuko Toyofuku never begins from the design, but she immediately starts modeling the wax. "I think about what I would like to wear at that moment, and I collect in my mind all the inspirations I have drawn from the surroundings".

The artisans she collaborates with are key. "I have managed to get here thanks to the skills of the enamellers and the goldsmiths who have worked with me over the years. For me this is the essence of excellence: the ability to work together with highly skilled and creative craftsmen". And the MAM award represents for her, for them, a great acknowledgement. “I can hardly believe I have won such an important and unique award, which values the people who have dedicated their lives to this craft. A craft made of dedication, everydayness, discipline. It is a great honor for me".

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