en-us- Hiroyuki Wakimoto

07/10/2021
"Hiroyuki Wakimoto was not born into a family of potters. He was originally from Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyushu. He first studied textile design at Osaka Art College, until he did realize that textiles were not really his interest. Left college  went back to his hometown to help his parents's business. A visit to a college friend who was doing an apprenticeship with a ceramist in Bizen proved to be a turning point in his life. He was inspired by Bizen-yaki and, at the age of 30, he became an apprentice under accomplished ceramist Joji Yamashita. Nine years later, in 1990, Wakimoto established his own kiln and studio in Bizen. As one of the six oldest Japanese pottery centers in Japan, Bizen has produced many exceptional ceramists, including a number of National Living Treasures. Wakimoto concentrates on developing a personal style.  His pieces are instantly recognizable by the bold, meticulously conceived forms with clean strong lines and his signature fire markings. He use a technique, called "kurinuki", offers the artist great flexibility to create new shapes. He also takes great care to document his firing procedures, keeping detailed data on temperature and positions of the pieces in his noborigama (climbing kiln). This methodical approach frees the artist from haphazard guesswork, allowing him to focus on turning his abstract visions into tangible forms. Wakimoto uses his intimate knowledge of the kiln to produce the composite pieces, by firing separate components in different locations in his kiln to achieve contrasting fire markings on the same piece.   Retrospective "Bio"Extract  by Touching Stone Gallery , Santa Fe, USA
"Hiroyuki Wakimoto was not born into a family of potters. He was originally from Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyushu. He first studied textile design at Osaka Art College, until he did realize that textiles were not really his interest. Left college went back to his hometown to help his parents's business. A visit to a college friend who was doing an apprenticeship with a ceramist in Bizen proved to be a turning point in his life. He was inspired by Bizen-yaki and, at the age of 30, he became an apprentice under accomplished ceramist Joji Yamashita. Nine years later, in 1990, Wakimoto established his own kiln and studio in Bizen. As one of the six oldest Japanese pottery centers in Japan, Bizen has produced many exceptional ceramists, including a number of National Living Treasures. Wakimoto concentrates on developing a personal style. His pieces are instantly recognizable by the bold, meticulously conceived forms with clean strong lines and his signature fire markings. He use a technique, called "kurinuki", offers the artist great flexibility to create new shapes. He also takes great care to document his firing procedures, keeping detailed data on temperature and positions of the pieces in his noborigama (climbing kiln). This methodical approach frees the artist from haphazard guesswork, allowing him to focus on turning his abstract visions into tangible forms. Wakimoto uses his intimate knowledge of the kiln to produce the composite pieces, by firing separate components in different locations in his kiln to achieve contrasting fire markings on the same piece. Retrospective "Bio"Extract by Touching Stone Gallery , Santa Fe, USA

Hiroyuki Wakimoto's Profile -1952: Born in Nagasaki Prefecture Tsushima1975: Osaka University of Arts and Crafts School1981: Apprenticeship under Bizen ceramist Joji Yamashita1990: Start woodefiring of his own kiln at Higashisue Setouchi City Osafune.52nd Issui-kai Ceramics Exhibition Honorable Mention Award1991: 8th Tanabe Art Museum "chanoyu no zokei" Exhibition prize2nd Ceramics Biennale 91 winners38th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition prize1st 91 'yakishime Ceramics Competition winners53rd Issui kai Ceramics Exhibition Honorable Mention Award1992: 9th Tanabe Art Museum "chanoyu no zokei of" Exhibition prize30th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition prize39th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition prize54th Issui kai Ceramics Exhibition prize1993: 3rd Ceramics Biennale Award Winner31st Asahi Ceramics Exhibition prize35th Japanese traditional crafts China Branch Exhibition Japan Crafts Association China Branch Chief AwardAsahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition invitation exhibitionSolo exhibition at Okayama Asuka Gallery1994: The "chanoyu no zokei" 11th Tanabe Art Museum Exhibition prize2nd 94 'yakishime Ceramics Competition Grand Prize1995: 12th "chanoyu no zokei" Tanabe Art Museum Exhibition prize13th Japan Ceramics Exhibition prize42nd Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition prizeExhibition at the Okayama Gallery HekienExhibition at the Osaka gallery Kochuten1996: The 13th "chanoyu no zokei" Tanabe Art Museum Exhibition prize34th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition prizeSolo exhibition at the Okayama Tenmaya "personal form"1997: 14th Tanabe Art Museum "chanoyu no zokei of" Exhibition prizeThe 35th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition prize44th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition prizeJapan Crafts Association regular member certification1998: 15th "chanoyu no zokei" Tanabe Art Museum Exhibition prize1999: 37th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition prizeSolo exhibition at Hiroshima TenmayaSolo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery "Kou"2001: Exhibition "Inishie" in Okayama Tenmaya2002: Solo exhibition at Hiroshima Arupark TenmayaExhibition at the Okayama Gallery HekienSolo exhibition at the Gifu BunkindoSolo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"2004: Exhibition at the Tokyo Ginza Kuroda ToenSolo exhibition at the Fukuoka IwatayaSolo exhibition at Fukuyama TenmayaInvited to the United States the first time Santa Fe International Folk Art MarketSolo exhibition at Gallery "touching Stone"2005: Exhibition at the Tokyo Ginza Kuroda ToenExhibition "original landscape" at Okayama TenmayaSolo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"2006: Solo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"Solo exhibition at the Ishikawa Komatsu Yamato2007: Selected "chanoyu no zokei" 24th Tanabe Art MuseumSolo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaOkinawa Shisa potter, Mitsuo Miyagi at Okayama Art Garden, Uminchu photographer Chikako Furuya and three people ExhibitionSolo exhibition at the Fukuoka IwatayaHeld a Karatsu Kiyomi Kawakami a "two-person show of Tsushima born" in Nagasaki Tsushima Exchange CenterSolo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"2008: Solo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition at the Nagano Inoue department store2009: 20th Japanese Ceramics Exhibition prize56th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition prizeSolo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"Solo exhibition at Kurashiki Tenmaya2010: The "chanoyu no zokei" 27th Tanabe Art Museum Exhibition prize52nd Japanese traditional crafts China Branch Exhibition prizeSolo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"2011: Solo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition at the thatched Okayama GallerySolo exhibition in Kobe Sogo2012: Solo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition in the United States Santa Fe "touching Stone"Solo exhibition at Takamatsu TenmayaSolo exhibition at the Kumamoto Kenmin department store2014: Exhibition with Ryuichi Kakurezaki at Nagasaki Hamaya "Two Bizen ware potter from Nagasaki"Solo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition at TottoridaimaruSolo exhibition at Okayama Iwane Gallery2015: 32nd Tanabe Art Museum "tea ceremony of the shaped" two works in Exhibition prizeLarge vase two works are purchased in the United States West Virginia State University Art MuseumVase collection in the United States San Francisco Asian Art MuseumSolo exhibition at the Hyogo Sanyo hyakkaten2016: Vase collection in America Cincinnati Art Museum33rd "chanoyu no zokei" Tanabe Art Museum Exhibition prizeSolo exhibition at the Mitsukoshi Department StoreSolo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition at Sapporo Mitsukoshi2017: Solo exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery AoyamaSolo exhibition at Iyo Matsuyama iron Takashimaya