Collection: Artist Category > The "KA" column (Rosanjin Kitaoji, etc.) > Ryuichi Kakurezaki

Born in Fukue City, Nagasaki Prefecture in 1950, Kakurezaki Ryuichi studied at Osaka University of Arts before embarking on a career in pottery under Isezaki Jun, a Living National Treasure of Bizen ware. While based on traditional Bizen ware techniques, his expression, which incorporates his own unique sense of form, is highly regarded as a contemporary form of pottery that transcends conventional boundaries.

Since the 1990s, he has attracted attention by winning numerous prestigious awards. In 1995, he won the MOA Okada Mokichi Award for Excellence, and the Japan Ceramic Association Award the following year. He has since gone on to win the Musee Tomo Grand Prize for Excellence in the "Contemporary Tea Ceramics" exhibition in 2008, the Kaneshige Toyo Award in 2009, the Mainichi Art Award in 2015, and the Japan Ceramic Association Gold Award, all of which demonstrate his talent as a leading contemporary ceramic artist.

Kakurezaki's works are characterized by a delicate sensibility nestled within their strength, and by the unique forms they develop while making use of the earthenware qualities of traditional Bizen ware. Their bold shapes and profound expressions have earned them acclaim from collectors both in Japan and overseas, and they are known for greatly expanding the possibilities of Bizen ware.

Ryuichi Kakurezaki, who freely moves between tradition and innovation, continues to pursue his own unique artistic style. His works continue to have a unique presence even in the contemporary ceramics scene.