Kohyama Yasuhisa is an important Japanese ceramic artist whose practice draws from traditional Shigaraki wares, which he has interpreted into his distinctive modern style, exploring the sculptural possibilities of wood-fired and hand-built works.
Kohyama Yasuhisa was born in Shigaraki, a historic kiln site in Japan, where he lives and works today. He started his career in ceramics working in a large ceramics factory in Shigaraki, later studying under ceramic designer Sakuzo Hineno and was interested in ceramic industrial design. In the late 1960s he resolved to continue making his own work drawn from traditional Shigaraki ware and set up his own studio, building a traditional anagama kiln.
Kohyama makes wood-fired works with local clay and natural ash glazes, which go through multiple reduction firings, firing unglazed pieces slowing over multiple days. In his words, ‘The rewards of this kind of firing is the variations of colour that emerges.’ He is best known for his faceted sculptural works, using a metal wire cutter which reveals the texture of the clay.
His first solo exhibition at the Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo was held in March 1973, and he has since been exhibited widely in Japan, Europe and the US. His works are held in numerous public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he first went to be their resident artist in 1994, returning again in 1999, 2008 and 2016.
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Dates
1936 Born in Shigaraki, Japan
1973 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, Japan
Artwork
