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

Born in Tsuboya, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture in 1912, Kinjo Jiro was familiar with Tsuboya ware from an early age and began his career as a potter at the age of 12. After the war, he worked hard to revive Okinawan pottery, and in 1985 he became the first person in Okinawa to be recognized as a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Ryukyu Pottery" (Living National Treasure).

Kinjo's work is symbolized by motifs of fish and shrimp. Fish patterns have long been popular as auspicious designs that wish for the prosperity of descendants, and the humorous expression of the "laughing fish" in particular has become a representative design of his pottery.

He found beauty in everyday tableware, and used techniques such as relief carving and finger painting to depict fish and shrimp on pots, tea bowls, and cradling bottles. His works, which are simple, powerful, and at the same time exude warmth, were highly praised by Shoji Hamada and Kanjiro Kawai, who were involved in the Mingei movement. In 1967, he received the Okinawa Times Art Encouragement Prize, and became widely known as a representative figure in the Okinawa pottery world.

Kinjo Jiro's pottery, which reflects the nature and lifestyle of Okinawa, is artistic even as it is used in everyday life, and continues to fascinate many people today.