About Sumiyo
From Kyoto to New England
Hello, I’m Sumiyo Toribe. I’m an artist, educator, and storyteller, born in Kyoto, Japan, and now based in Massachusetts.
I came to the United States at sixteen as an exchange student in Oklahoma. My studies first took me into music, where I studied flute at Phillips University, and later into painting. I earned my MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Today, I work in watercolor, sumi ink, oil, and clay. Across these different materials, I return to nature, the changing seasons, and the small things that bring happiness to everyday life.
Painting, Music, and Clay
Watercolor is at the heart of my work. I also paint with sumi ink and oils, exploring the different ways each material allows me to work with color, shape, and expression.
That exploration continues in clay. I fell in love with ceramics during my undergraduate years and, after focusing on painting, returned to pottery with the encouragement of my mentor, Hiroshi Nakayama. Today, painting and ceramics are both part of my studio practice.
Alongside my visual art, I continue to make music through local flute duet performances and playing tenor saxophone with students and community musicians in a jazz band at Assumption University.
Seasons and Stories
In my watercolors, I express the positive, dynamic energy of nature. I see the earth as full of life, just as we are, always moving and changing. The movement of water and color helps me capture that vitality through the changing seasons.
My style blends Eastern and Western influences, bringing together impressionistic and expressionistic approaches. I paint both the beauty I see and the living energy I feel in a landscape. When people enter my booth, I hope my paintings surround them with color, happiness, and a sense of joy.
That same spirit continues in my ceramics and Japanese-inspired imagery. Mount Fuji is my personal symbol of happiness, and my smiling Jizo figures express a wish for world peace. Characters from Japanese folklore and tradition bring a playful warmth to this shared celebration of life.
Sharing the Joy of Making
For about twenty years, I taught college art in Massachusetts. Teaching remains an important part of my life, alongside my own studio practice. Through lessons and watercolor demonstrations, I share techniques and encourage others to explore their creativity.
That spirit is also behind my vision for Creative Clay Center in Oxford, Massachusetts: a future place for learning, making, and connecting through clay.
Through my work and teaching, I hope to encourage others to explore their own creativity and find connection through making art.
Selected Background
MFA in Painting, Savannah College of Art and Design, 1998.
My work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and local television. I have participated in juried, group, and solo exhibitions and art shows, received awards and a grant, and published the art book Painting by Lyrics.