"Flash" Mosaic by Toyoharu Kii

Renowned mosaic artist Toyoharu Kii made this exquisite work of art. He has dedicated his life to a medium that could become restrictive and rigid, and found inspiring ways to free it from those traditional boundaries. The tessera in this work, called "Flash", feel almost fluid—the subtle variances in color, shape, and direction give the mosaic an almost organic feel.

A leader of the cross-cultural craft resurgence, Japan-based artist Toyoharu Kii creates his intricate mosaics with hand-cut Italian marble and smalti, Venetian glass made by the same Italian family for over 400 years. Using traditional Italian techniques, Kii’s art is nonetheless modern. It is monochromatic, abstract, and highly textured and highlights the involved and technical art of mosaic making.