Image: EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art
A major Tapio Wirkkala retrospective is in its final stop in Japan, with ‘Tapio Wirkkala: The Sculptor of Ultima Thule’ on view at Shimane Art Museum in Matsue through 31 August 2026. The exhibition, which began its Japan tour in April 2025 at Tokyo Station Gallery, has since traveled to Itami City Museum of Art, History and Culture and Gifu’s Museum of Modern Ceramic Art before arriving at its fourth and last venue. According to EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, the show marks Wirkkala’s 110th birth year and presents the first broad retrospective of his work in Japan.
The exhibition brings together about 300 works, including art objects, glass works, plywood sculptures, prototypes, drawings and photographs. EMMA says the selection highlights the breadth of Wirkkala’s production and the artistic thinking behind it, while also underlining his role as a major figure working between art and design. Wirkkala, who lived from 1915 to 1985, is described by the museum as a master of form and material whose work continues to attract new audiences.
The Japan tour has been organized in collaboration with EMMA, the Tapio Wirkkala Rut Bryk Foundation and the Japanese company Blue Sheep. In EMMA’s account of the project, the retrospective has also served as a point of cultural exchange between Finland and Japan. Krist Gruijthuijsen, EMMA’s director, said the warm reception of the exhibition across Japan has shown how strongly Wirkkala’s work continues to resonate with audiences.
The retrospective is built mainly from the collection of the Tapio Wirkkala Rut Bryk Foundation, which EMMA describes as the largest existing body of work by Wirkkala and his spouse, ceramic artist Rut Bryk. That collection is permanently shown at EMMA in the ‘Bryk & Wirkkala’ collection display. The exhibition also includes a substantial group of glass and silver works from Collection Kakkonen, described by EMMA as Finland’s leading collection of modern glass and ceramics.
Wirkkala’s reputation has long rested on his ability to move across materials and disciplines, and EMMA’s exhibition framing reflects that range. The show combines design objects with sculptural and documentary material to present both Wirkkala’s output and his approach to making. The museum positions the retrospective as an unusually expansive look at a Finnish artist whose influence has extended well beyond one field.
At Shimane Art Museum, the exhibition runs from 26 June to 31 August 2026. After the closing in Japan, the approximately 300 works featured in the touring exhibition will return to Finland.
