Where Art and Design Meet, the Couple Breathing New Life into Blown Glass

Toumei, which means ‘transparent’ in Japanese, offers a selection of colourful, striking pieces made from glass. They range from the functional (such as vases) to the simply decorative. This is why Toumei, that dabbles in both art and design, is often described as a hybrid brand.

The couple, who met at Tama Art University in Tokyo, conceive, design and produce all of their creations themselves. The brand Toumei, created when they were both 27 years old, assembles their two worlds rather than fusing them, to the point where it is possible to tell which pieces are by Baku Takahashi and which are by Tomoko Wada.

Two complementary approaches to glasss

While Tomoko Wada is interested in playing with transparency and refined shapes, often creating glass blocks that integrate raw elements like tree branches or flowers, her husband Baku Takahashi fashions glass into small, translucent pieces in statement colours and innovative shapes — he remarks himself that his creations look like ‘sweets’.

Despite these differences, their work intersects. Both create certain glass elements for the other that then complete their piece. The work of these two complementary artists, who abandoned the Tokyo art scene to move further south to Fukuoka prefecture, has not failed to attract the attention of critics in Japan and worldwide. The New York Times’ T Magazine sang their praises, emphasising the quality and uniqueness of their work.

The latest collections by Toumei can be found on the brand’s website.