About Mariko
Mariko’s jewellery is deeply inspired by her love of architecture. She carefully observes architectural elements during her travels — natural materials, colour and texture, dramatic contrasts, and geometric forms and spaces — and transforms them into sculptural jewellery.
Her architectural pieces evoke the immense passage of time she feels when standing before historic structures. With interior spaces like tiny treasure boxes, these works invite viewers or wearers to freely wander within them, embedding personal memories and stories.
Her collection draws from Japanese architecture, a long-time source of inspiration. Mariko has long been fascinated by the beautiful, rhythmic views and textures of roof tiles found at shrines and temples. Her initial interest in architecture began when she observed how people live and work inbuildings that, from a distance, resemble small boxes. It intrigued her to imagine life inside these boxes — how we all spend time in them, and how we see the world through windows and architectural frames. These frames, in turn, capture fleeting views and moments, unique to each person and time. This relationship between architecture, framing, and the passage of time is central to her collection.
Studying at Edinburgh College of Art marked a turning point in her creative journey. There, she was introduced to the philosophy of contemporary jewellery — how to choose materials, the importance of concept, and the value of process. It was a challenging yet transformative period where she began translating her background and ideas into jewellery. The process is as important as the outcome in her practice. Accepting discoveries and failures during the creative process has shaped her distinctive style. Her obsession with beautifully crafted details makes her work truly one of a kind.
The stories told inside these miniature precious compositions are unfinished – it is up to you, the wearer to invent the rest.
Biography
Sumioka was born and raised in Japan, but spent several years in Brazil due to her father’s work. This exciting cross -cultural experience sparked a deep fascination with gemstones and jewelry. Although she initially earned a degree in economics and worked in the upstream sector of oil and gas development, she couldn’t let go of her passion for metal and jewelry. Determined to pursue her passion, she moved to the UK to study jewelry making, and established herself as a jewelry designer-maker there in 2011.
2011 First class BA (Hons) Jewellery & Silversmithing, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
2004 Bachelor of Economics, Osaka University, Japan
