Japan’s 25 Best Female Ceramic Artists You Need to Know

by Jes Kalled | CRAFT

© Etsuko Tashima, Cornucopia, 2009, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

It’s no secret that Japan has a wonderful heritage of mind-blowing ceramic art. A number of exceptional female ceramic artists deserve special attention. Their extraordinary works combine different disciplines, themes and techniques.

Blending natural forms with monochrome palettes or experimenting with strange, intriguing pieces that beg further questioning, here are 25 of the most exciting Japanese women ceramicists around, representing some of the very best in contemporary Japanese ceramic craft.

1. Hayashi Kaku

© Hayashi Kaku, International Ceramics Festival

Hayashi Kaku is perhaps one of Japan’s most famous ceramic artists working today. After experiencing a personal miracle, her own cancerous tumor disappearing by itself, she found herself concerned with the cycle of life and death. Since then her work consists of ring-shaped ceramics. Her vessels are representations of “loops,” “infinity,” “past and present,” and other manifestations that for her start and end “from zero.” In all her work, but especially in her pieces titled Zero she finds a sense of peace, universal truth or Japanese wa.

2. Imada Yoko

© Yoko Imada, Sei (Purity), 2014, A Lighthouse Called Kanata

The porcelain works of Imada Yoko are smooth, abstract and refreshing. The bowls are made from wheel-thrown clay from Seto, the region of Japan known most famously for ceramics and pottery. Blue brush strokes on the thinly glazed surface emphasizes the contrast between the two colors. Currently represented by A Lighthouse Called Kanata formerly Yufuku Gallery, Imada’s art can be found there in the heart of Tokyo. The mid career artist seems to play with a concept of minimalism, as seen here in her approach to making Sei (Purity), in 2014.

3. Kitamura Tsuruyo

© Kitamura Tsuruyo, Moon Shadows, Lesley Kehoe Galleries

Known for her unique glazing style she calls Shark Skin, Kitamura Tsuruyo does not sell her work commercially, but instead sends submissions to exhibitions and competitions like that of the prestigious Nitten. Additionally, her work can be found in private collections, and she has won several awards throughout the years. The large scale of her pieces underline her seemingly never ending exploration of horizons, both literal and figurative. Her work, Moon Shadows, exhibits various textures and gives way to the idea of an expansive sky that is mirrored and circular by nature.

4. Hitomi Hosono

© Hitomi Hosono, Feather Leaves Bowl, 2017, Adrian Sassoon

The incredible, plant-inspired porcelain of Hitomi Hosono are multi-layered and innately delicate sculptures, made up of beautifully-carved and exquisitely detailed floral pieces. This delicacy evokes a sense of authenticity in her work, as her fern-like forms seem to twist and turn in the wind. Hosono is exhibited widely around the world and her work has also been in many international publications — it’s not hard to see why!

5. Chieko Katsumata

© Chieko Katsumata, Pumpkin, 2014, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

The natural forms that inform Chieko Katsumata’s work — pumpkins and sea flowers, for example — are deeply textural odes to nature. With their rich colors and realistic surfaces, they look almost good enough to eat. Katsumata is interested on the application of color onto her contemporary clay forms; rather than painting onto the vessels directly, she applies the color through a piece of thin cloth. This technique allows a vivid color to shine through, whilst keeping the textured surface free from brush marks.

6. Kishi Eiko

© Kishi Eiko, Compilation of Recollected Images, 2017, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

Kishi Eiko is yet another female artist trailblazing her way through the ceramic art world. Her works are known for their miniscule detail which almost appear to have been delicately woven into the sculpture’s surface. This original (Kishi invented) multi-color glazing technique is called saiseki-zogan, or color inlay. Technical prowess, patience and engineering go into a Kishi Eiko vessel. Some manifesting as large geometrical shapes that resemble stone, others coming together in an ever evolving experimental fashion.

7. Kitamura Junko

© Kitamura Junko, Globular vessel decorated with wave and circle patterning, 1999, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

The surface of Kitamura Junko’s ceramic work is imprinted by hand using bamboo. The intricate design of the inlay comes together in patterns, usually as tiny white dots on a background of black. Influenced by the 15th century Korean style of Punch’ong, Kitamura’s design weaves around her ceramic forms like waves or lace. The sheer repetition and attention to small detail earned her much recognition in the international ceramic world. Her work was celebrated at the 2009 Smith College Museum of Fine Arts, and has exhibited in many other museums such as Museum of Fine arts, Boston, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo to name a few.

8. Sakurai Yasuko

© Sakurai Yasuko, Oval Vertical 3, Daiichi Arts

“I see the shadows that are cast by my pieces on the floor as part of the artwork as well.” Says Sakurai Yasuko in a video interview with Japan Society. Using porcelain as her material, Sakurai experiments with different ways to pierce her sculpture, creating holes and opportunities where light can come in. During her two year study in France, Sakurai began to bridge her understanding of Japanese ceramics with French concepts. Although in both countries, ceramics is held in high regard, she explains that Japan holds it up to a different ideal due to its history and close ties to the tea ceremony. Sakurai’s experience in France influenced her to switch from stoneware to porcelain, creating sharper and more delicate pieces. It was there also that she began developing new techniques such as molding and casting.

9. Etsuko Tashima

Etsuko Tashima’s beautiful work brings together pastel glass elements with porcelain forms, to create her instantly recognizable, flower-like Cornucopia sculptures. Winning awards and impressing critics, Etsuko’s works are drawn from biomorphic forms in nature, to create these particularly vivid, memorable pieces.

For see more from trendsetters in the world of Japanese ceramic art, check out these 6 Innovators to Watch!

10. Yoshimi Futamura

© Yoshimi Futamura, Black Hole, 2015, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

Yoshimi Futamura’s Black Hole is a rounded form with protruding elements, coated with a liquid porcelain slip which has cracked around the clay. The result is this fascinating and highly unusual work, which almost looks like a round loaf of bread or a piece of wood. Residing in Paris, Futamura’s inspiration comes invariably from nature, with forms linked to roots, waves and rhizomes typical motifs in her craft.

11. Fujikasa Satoko

© Fujikasa Satoko, Ripping Waves, 2016, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

A young rising star in the ceramic world both in Japan and the U.S. especially, Fujisaka Satoko takes her time with her work; some pieces taking up to a year to complete. A look at her sculptures will show you her intention to capture the concept of movement and fluidity. By melding thin coils together by hand, the artist creates thin walls that are just 2-3mm thick. The precision lies in the challenge of drying each piece, and being able to control the process without the walls cracking or caving. Rippling Waves (2016) was showcased in her second solo exhibition titled Swirling Energy: The Sculptural Metaphors of Fujikasa Satoko, which consisted of just 10 works.

12. Tomita Mikiko

© Tomita Mikiko, Cell #2, 2016, LaiSun Keane

Tomita Mikiko’s work focuses uniquely on the metamorphosis and details of a single cell. Each piece a variation of itself; each piece another take on the minute happenings and inner-workings of the origins of life. In her work Cell #2 (2016) we can see how her mind wraps itself around the idea of this single beautiful moment. The ceramics have natural colors, rooting us even deeper to the earthy significance of a cell that the naked eye doesn’t usually have the ability to see.

13. Koike Shoko

© Koike Shoko, White Foam, 2018, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

Largely influenced by nature, and more specifically the ocean, Koike Shoko’s sculptures read more like moving vessels than human-made works of art. “First I imagine the shape that dances a certain pulsating rhythm, which then extends to my hands and leads them to weave a form from the mound of clay before me," said Koike in 2009. Perhaps influenced and inspired by the world her mother (an international fashion designer) exposed her to, Koike delves into patterns, materials and shape when making her sculptures. Koike was one of the first women to graduate from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts with a degree in ceramics, and has experienced much success in the art world since. Her piece, White Form, from her show Shifting Rhythms displays her effort with layer and motion.

14. Kimiyo Mishima

© Kimiyo Mishima, Charcoal Box, 2012, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

Like a piece of pop-art for the craft world, Kimiyo Mishima’s vibrant pieces are intensely fun, and as a result Mishima has become one of Japan’s most prominent ceramic artists, with her work being exhibited world-wide. Beginning her career as a painter, pottery became her canvas for silk-screen printing, where she transfers printed matter such as magazines and newspapers, often with a political message intended to provoke the viewer.

Trailblazers like Mishima are changing the way we view ceramic art. For more examples of exceptional artists in the field check out These Phenomenal Works.

15. Machiko Ogawa

© Machiko Ogawa, Lunar Fragments, 2014, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

In 2014, Machiko Ogawa exhibited Lunar Fragments, a selection of her stunning, rock-shaped and boulder-like sculptures made up of translucent, crystallized glass and unglazed porcelain. Through the artist’s keen interests in rocks and minerals, these works are a prime example of how the mingling of materials can create strikingly modern pieces. Ogawa is one of six women to be awarded the Japanese Ceramic Society Prize, and was the first woman admitted to the prestigious ceramic department at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music - a true pioneer for female ceramic artists.

16. Takemura Yuri

© Takemura Yuri, Teabowl "Whereabouts of Light", 2017, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

For Takemura Yuri, ceramics was a way to finally express herself fully. As a child, Takemura used to watch her father work as a graphic designer. This led her to strive to become an artist, and take up oil painting. However, the canvas proved to be a limiting two dimensional material. When Takemura found the beauty of ceramics, she was able to discover an entirely new shape and surface to paint on. Interestingly, Takemura also dabbles in combining ‘tradition’ with ‘contemporary’ by adding playful color to the otherwise conventional functionality of the Japanese tea bowl.

17. Kawakami Tomoko

© Kawakami Tomoko, Silent Existence, 2003, Gallery Voice

Kawakami Tomoko’s pottery can be found in places like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan Foundation, among other locations in and outside of Japan. She won the Special Judge’s Award at the International Ceramics Competition in 1998. Her piece Vessels for Flowers (2007) represents the pinnacle of her style and taste. Typically using a two-toned approach, the ceramic artist contrasts a smooth jet black inside with a grainy, textured lighter exterior. Native to Gifu, Kawakami works as the general manager of “Gallery VOICE” in Tajimi City.

18. Ono Hakuko

© Ono Hakuko, Glazed porcelain with gold leaf, 2015, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

The sparkling result of a golden glazed ceramic piece by Ono Hakuko was no easy process. The decorative technique took the artist time to master. Studying at her father’s kiln, and then under the tutelage of the National Living Treasure Kato Hajime, Ono went on to become a professional in the steady practice of Yurikinsai, the use of gold foils. Her designs are floral and fine, often displayed on water jars and vases, the colors always vibrant and eye-catching. The time-consuming practice earned her the Japan Society Ceramic Prize in 1980, she was the second female potter to receive this distinguished award.

19. Tomoko Konno

© Tomoko Konno, Creature, 2011, Onishi Gallery

The otherworldly figures of the work of Tomoko Konno appear to be living things, combining bright colors, careful detail and a sense of movement. Crucial to Konno is the nerikomi technique, involving layering different bands of clay, which gives the finished object a painterly feel without using a brush. Konno lives in Tokoname, an ancient pottery town, whilst also spending her time in Bali. Perhaps its these distinct cultural influences which imbue her ceramic art with a magical, dream-like quality. In 2013, her work was selected for the 58th Premio Faenza in Italy.

20. Fuku Fukumoto

© Fuku Fukumoto, Lunar Forms, 2013, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

This unglazed stacked porcelain, with their brilliant blue and teal tones, is a perfect reminder of the simplicity that can be at the heart of ceramics. These wheel thrown forms are delicately positioned inside one another, creating a beautiful sense of balance and fragility in the work of Fuku Fukumoto, who reacts to the potter’s wheel instinctively as she makes her sensitive pieces.

21. Nagasawa Setsuko

Born into a traditional family and yet exposed to a cultured environment, Nagasawa enrolled in the Fine Arts University of Kyoto. Her work ranges in both material and content, using both porcelain and stone in her ceramics and experimenting also with installation, sculpture and design. As seen in her geometric expressions, Nagasawa was first and foremost trying to “present the space with objects that act above all as fields of tension." The artist has spent extended periods of time working and studying abroad, expanding her field of knowledge and acquisition. Her expertise earned her a spot as vice president of the International Academy of Ceramics for several years.

22. Matsuda Yuriko

© Matsuda Yuriko, In Her Shoes, Daiichi Arts

The irregular, delightful, and at times pop-art like forms by Matsuda Yurkiko are quite well known around the world. At first glance her work feels unusual and eccentric, and always invites the viewer to take a closer look. The famous potter has an atelier located in Yamanashi prefecture, where she is surrounded by woods and yet still has a view of Mount Fuji. There she continues to make ladies’ bums, feet, vegetables, and other unique and yet innocuous shapes into porcelain clay. "The implication seems to be that anything that is decorative or ornamental can't be real art, because it lacks depth and meaning. I couldn't disagree more." She said in a recent interview. Matsuda observes that her art is inspired by other art and images, citing that it’s impossible not to be affected by the world around us. "Rather than fight outside influences, I embrace them" she says.

23. Sawako Kobayashi

© Sawako Kobayashi, Peacock Princess, 2015, Onishi Gallery

This wonderful and whimsical piece from Sawako Kobayashi, Peacock Princess, is created through the technique of nerikomi, a contemporary Japanese term for a way of creating patterns with colored clay. Now based in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa, Kobayashi studied ceramics at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts, and also holds a PhD in fine art. Her work seems to exist in its own world, entering a new phase of craft which combines fantasy with reality.

24. Sachiko Fujino

© Sachiko Fujino, Interconnection, 2015, Joan B Mirviss Gallery

The stunning work of ceramic artist Sachiko Fujino, who originally studied fashion in Kyoto and worked as designer and fabric dyer, is instantly reminiscent of the paintings of American artist George O’Keefe. Both artists perfectly encapsulate the subtle coloration of natural forms, and the amazing vibrancy and power that simple light colors such as white can convey. Fujino’s work in pottery draws upon her background in textiles — this piece, Interconnection, effortlessly evokes the folds of a piece of fabric.

25. Shio Kusaka

© Shio Kusaka, Dinosaur 19, 2009, Gagosian

Based in Los Angeles, ceramic artist Shio Kusaka creates stunning vases reminiscent of traditional Greek amphoras of Classical antiquity, yet their use of rich blues or patterns which mimic leopard spots give them a decisively modern feel. The fine incisions on the neck of this vase contrasts beautifully with the rounded lip and the abstract-like lines on the vase’s main body, as a winged figure seems to skate over an expanse of water.