Ryoka Aoki 青木蓼華

Ryoka Aoki 青木蓼華 (1931 -)

Sosaku

Master: Ryoshu Nozawa (野沢蓼州)
Apprentice: Réka Tóth-Vásárhelyi (トート・ヴァーシャールヘイ・レーカ)

Born in 1931 in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, Ryoka Aoki, originally named Toshiko Aoki, studied traditional Japanese painting under Ryoshu Nozawa, who gave her the artist name "Ryoka." She began creating sosaku kokeshi around 1958, developing an elegant style distinguished by gentle facial expressions and delicate painted details. A pioneering female artisan, she received numerous national awards, including recognition as a Contemporary Master Craftsman in 2013 and the Medal with Yellow Ribbon in 2016. She later mentored Hungarian kokeshi artist Réka Tóth-Vásárhelyi.