NEW YORK, NY.- Gallery Max New York will present “The Art of Pearls,” an exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed Japanese pearl artist and materials innovator Eiji Uemura. The exhibition, Uemura’s eighth with the gallery, will feature ten of his Firefly cultured pearl necklaces and rings, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see Uemura's pioneering cultured pearl invention. In addition, the exhibition will include 400 pieces of Uemura’s unique wearable pearl art including examples of traditional Makie (Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold and silver powder), Kiriko (faceted pearls), and a combination of pearls with Kurochiku (Black Bamboo) as well as rubies and diamonds. His oversized pearls with uncommon shapes like cubes will also be on display.

Renowned for his experimental approach to organic materials, Uemura and his team spent five years (2019-2024) developing their innovative process for making red and blue Firefly fluorescent cultured pearls. Pearls are inherently fluorescent absorbing ultraviolet light and emitting visible light. The Firefly pearls were cultivated utilizing this property and a unique technique which was applied to the nucleus, the source of the pearl, and placed in the oysters. The timing of the nucleation and the extraction from the oysters are key. When extracted, the pearls look like ordinary pearls in natural light but glow like fireflies in the dark transforming traditional perceptions of jewelry and ornamentation.

“My fluorescent Firefly pearls are a metaphor for hidden beauty," says Uemura. "They symbolize the radiance we carry within, waiting to be seen under the right light."

Gallery owner Max Fujishima expressed excitement about the exhibition: "Eiji Uemura's work challenges the boundaries between art and science. His fluorescent “Firefly Pearls” are not just a technical marvel but a poetic statement about transformation and illumination."



Eiji Uemura

Born in 1968, Eiji Uemura is a trailblazing Japanese pearl artist and a third generation cultured pearl farmer from Minami-Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Cultured pearl farming, started by Kokichi Mikimoto in 1893, involves breeding pearl oysters, implanting a mother of pearl bead in the oyster when the oyster is two to three years old and then suspending the oyster in the sea for about a year before the perfectly round cultured pearl is removed.

In 1988, Uemura started designing pearl jewelry. By 2000, he was exhibiting his wearable art at various locations in Japan. By 2004, he was exhibiting internationally in France, Germany, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Macao, Malaysia, Taiwan, Lebanon, and other countries. In 2015, he started showing with Gallery Max New York.

Because the number of pearl farmers in Minami-Ise, Uemura’s hometown, is decreasing rapidly because of red tide and viral infections, Uemura, through his notoriety and work, is helping to revitalize the town and the pearl farming industry.

Uemura plans to develop a pearl farm in New York.
https://eiji-pearl.net

Gallery Max New York

Gallery Max New York is a premier contemporary art space dedicated to showcasing innovative and boundary-pushing works from established and emerging artists worldwide.