Riviera to Host “Hand Crafted Tiles: Until a Tile Is Born” Exhibition by Tile Artist Yuki Okuda of YYtiles in Tokyo

Riviera Co., Ltd., an importer and distributor of tiles, stone and other building materials headquartered in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture and led by President Hisakazu Kato, will hold the exhibition “Hand Crafted Tiles: Until a Tile Is Born” at its Tokyo showroom. The event features tile artist Yuki Okuda of YYtiles and presents not only her finished handcrafted tiles, but also the production process through actual materials, including plaster molds, unfired tile bodies, bisque-fired pieces and glazed tiles. While tiles are generally seen as uniform industrial products, Okuda’s tiles are fully handcrafted, from forming with plaster molds to painting, glazing and firing. Variations in glaze density, the slight wavering of lines and subtle color differences give each tile depth and character, creating a quiet presence in residential and commercial interiors. The exhibition aims to show, through both finished works and production stages, that tiles can be materials born from handwork. At the venue, visitors will be able to see each stage of the process using real materials, including plaster molds, tile bodies before firing, bisque-fired pieces, and tiles after glazing and firing. By following the process step by step, visitors can experience how the expression and texture of finished tiles are created not by chance, but through accumulated choices and craft techniques. The exhibition is designed for the general public, while also offering architects, planners and interior designers an opportunity to imagine the practical possibilities of custom-made tiles. It presents another potential of tile as a material that can respond to details beyond mass production and reflect the intentions of clients in architectural and interior settings. Yuki Okuda of YYtiles graduated from Sugino Women’s University with a specialization in dyeing, then worked in Kyoto as a hand-painted yuzen craftsperson under the second-generation Seijiro. She studied in Florence, Italy in 2002, and in 2003 worked as a designer and technical specialist at Italian tile manufacturer Foeme2000slr in Modena. In 2008 she began working as a tile artist in Nice, France, and after returning to Japan in 2016 opened an atelier specializing in decorative tile production. She handles the entire process herself, from plaster mold forming to painting, glazing and firing, producing custom tiles and decorative wall pieces for homes and shops. The exhibition runs from Monday, May 18 to Thursday, July 30, 2026, from 10:00 to 17:30, at Riviera Co., Ltd. Tokyo Showroom, Sumitomo Life Sanno Building B1F, 3-3-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. The showroom is a two-minute walk from Exit 11 or a three-minute walk from Exit 10 of Akasaka-mitsuke Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi and Ginza lines. It is closed on Sundays and national holidays. Founded in April 1997, Riviera introduces building materials such as porcelain tiles from Italy and Spain, natural granite and marble, mainly for entrances of detached houses in Japan. The company directly visits overseas building material trade fairs to select its latest product lineup and maintains strict inventory and delivery management to ensure same-site, same-lot delivery and consistently high-quality materials. Official website: https://riviera.jp