Haruka Sōtome

Born in Tochigi Prefecture in 1987, Sōtome completed her master’s degree in crafts at Tohoku　University of Art & Design and graduated from the Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in Kanazawa in 2023. She primarily creates works using lacquer, with lips as her central motif. Just as lipstick both expresses individuality and beauty while protecting the lips, lacquer also serves to decorate and protect surfaces. She is drawn to the shared duality between lacquer and makeup, which both “beautify” and “conceal.” Fascinated by this affinity, she creates works that explore the complexity of inner conflict and desire through lacquer, much like how makeup provides an emotional shield for people. Her work delves into the contrast between outward beauty and inner depth. In 2023, one of her pieces was featured as the main visual in a commercial for Mode Gakuen.