Shinro Yamamoto

Ceramics artist Shinro Yamamoto fell in love with the lifestyle of creating beauty by hand and apprenticed with an artist in the mountains of Western Kanagawa before striking out as an independent artist in the early 2000s. Five years ago he established the Yagurazawa Ceramics Studio in Minami-Ashigara City, Kanagawa, and has made a name for himself with his beautiful porcelain marble pieces which blend white, black and occasionally blue and pink colored porcelain.

Message from the Aritst

Hello, I’m Shinro Yamamoto, a ceramic artist based in Minamiashigara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

In 1999, while working as a financial planner at an accounting consulting firm, I began assisting ceramic artists and studying ceramics. In 2002, I left the company and established my own studio. I held my first solo exhibition in Odawara in 2003 and have since participated in numerous solo, group and juried exhibitions.

My work centers on nerikomi, a ceramic technique in which differently colored clays are layered and combined to create patterns within the clay itself. I am fascinated by the point where deliberate design meets the natural unpredictability of the material. As the clay is shaped, each pattern develops in its own way, making every piece truly one of a kind.

Every work is made by hand in my studio, from preparing and combining the clay to shaping, firing and finishing. Each piece is signed by me.

My work has been selected for the 2019 KOGEI World Competition in Kanazawa, the Mino Ceramic Art Exhibition, the Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibitions and other juried exhibitions. In 2022, I received an Excellence Award at the Tableware Festival. My work and process were also featured in Ceramic Arts Network’s Studio Talk 2023.

I hope my ceramics bring a quiet sense of movement and presence into your home.