MIN GALLERY is pleased to announce a solo exhibition by jewelry artist Honoka Kawazoe, her first in four years.
Since her early twenties, Kawazoe has traveled to the mountains of Colombia as an emerald buyer, examining countless stones. Through this deep experience, she became captivated by the unique character inherent in the stones' raw, unrefined states, leading her to create jewelry designed specifically for a single, hand-selected rough stone.
"We are not choosing the stones; the stones are choosing us."
So says Kawazoe, standing before emeralds that have crystallized over tens of millions of years.
At her atelier in Bali, she sits at her desk as the morning light fills the room. She reads the cracks and crystalline expressions of the stones, exploring where to create a focal point and where to offer protection, rolling the stone in her hand until the form emerges. Without the use of design sketches or casting molds, she hammers and melts gold, shaping it to follow the contours of each individual stone. In a land where traditional craftsmanship still breathes, the long hours spent with these stones are manifested directly into the forms of her work.
This exhibition will feature emerald jewelry using rough stones, including new works that utilize rare trapiche emeralds, which possess a six-rayed, wheel-like pattern within their crystals.
Kawazoe wishes to witness the journey of the stones she has acquired until they reach their final owners. We invite you to take this opportunity to view the path Honoka Kawazoe has walked in her dedication to raw stones, a path she has shared through these exhibitions where she hands her work directly to you.
Honoka Kawazoe Solo Exhibition
Venue: MIN GALLERY
Dates: October 28 (Wed) – November 3 (Tue/Holiday), 2026 *Open every day during the exhibition
Address: 2F, 3-5-6 Takaban, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00–18:00 (Starts at 15:00 on the first day; closes at 17:00 on the final day)
➖Opening Reception
October 28 (Wed) 15:00–19:00
*All are welcome to attend
➖Artist Presence
October 28 (Wed) 15:00–19:00🥂
October 29 (Thu), November 1 (Sun), 2 (Mon) 13:00–18:00
Spatial Design: JOKEI
PROFILE
HONOKA KAWAZOE
Born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. Growing up, she played with sanukite (a stone used for ancient Japanese musical instruments) found in the hills behind her home. Attracted to the beauty of thoroughbreds, she pursued horseback riding and veterinary studies through high school, but withdrew to seek her own path. In the 1990s, while traveling through Southeast Asia and Australia, she encountered stones from various regions and eventually took a job at a rough emerald import company. At a Colombian emerald mine, she had a fated encounter with raw, uncut emeralds. In 2001, she earned her Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) certification from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York. After working as a jewelry designer in New York, she moved her atelier to Bali in 2004, where she continues her work today.
photo : Yumiko Miyahama