Shoni Tajima

About the Artist

Uniqueness and Elegance Made with Glazes

Ceramic artist Shoni Tajima studied under Living National Treasure Yasokichi Tokuda III and learned the colored glaze decoration technique that Tokuda established and developed. The colored glaze decoration technique is creating beautiful color change and delicate gradation by applying many layers of glazes and firing. While carrying on this traditional technique, he combines this with his original forms and creates unique and elegant pieces. His excellent artwork has been highly evaluated and added to the collections of well-known museums in Japan and overseas including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.

Style

I create the base using porcelain clay made of Hanasaka pottery stone. I repeat the process of overglaze firing 4 - 6 times to make a well balanced gradation. I am committed to creating beautiful forms and colors.

Biography

• 1948
  Born in Komatsu City
• 1975
  Selected for the 3rd Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (selected 5 times from this year onward)
• 1976
  Selected for the 8th Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten)(selected twice from this year onward)
• 1977
  Specially submitted to the International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art in Faenza, Italy
• 1983
  Selected for the 30th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition for the first time (selected 35 times from this year onward)
• 1986
  Recommended as Full Member of the Japan Kōgei Association
• 1993
  Submitted to the "Japanese Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition" touring exhibition in the US
  Artwork added to the collection of the Smithsonian Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
• 2013
  Solo exhibition at JR Osaka Mitsukoshi Isetan
  Judge at the 41st Ceramics Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2015
  Solo exhibition at Tenmaya (Fukuyama, Okayama, Kurashiki and Yonago)
• 2016
  Kōgei (Modern Crafts) and the Tea Ceremony II at the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo Crafts Gallery
• 2017
  Evaluator at the 64th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  Artwork purchased by the Imperial Household Agency
• 2018
  Solo exhibition at Seibu Ikebukuro Art Forum
  Artwork awarded at the 24th Japan Ceramc Art Exhibition and 7th Kikuchi Bienalle added to the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
• 2020
  Evaluator at the 67th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2022
  "Ceramics of the Past and of the Future:The Timelessness of Traditional Japanese Craft Arts" at Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art and National Crafts Museum
  "Takanawa-kai" at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa
• 2023
  Evaluator at the 70th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition

Awards

• 1975
  Received the Special Award at the 3rd Chunichi International Exhibition of Ceramic Arts
• 1978
  Received the Minister for Foreign Affairs Award at the 6th Chunichi International Exhibition of Ceramic Arts
• 1985
  Received the Excellence Award at the 26th Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1991
  Received the Honorable Mention Award at the 2nd Ceramics Biennale '91
  Received the Excellence Award at the '91 Kanazawa Arts and Crafts Competition
• 2006
  Received the Japan Kōgei Association Incentive Award at the 53rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2008
  Received the Excellence Award at the Rome Awards (Hokuriku Crafts and Contemporary Glass Exhibition in Rome)
  Received the Grand Award at the 31st Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
  Artwork purchased by the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
• 2009
  Received the 50th Anniversary Excellence Award at the 50th Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2010
  Received the Excellence Award at the 33rd Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
• 2011
  Received the Excellence Award at the 34th Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
• 2012
  Received the Excellence Award at the 35th Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
• 2013
  Received the Excellence Award at the 36th Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
• 2015
  Received the Excellence Award at the 38th Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
• 2016
  Received the Asahi Shimbun Award at the 63rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2017
  Received the Grand Award at the 40th Traditional Kutani Ware Art Crafts Exhibition
  Received the Semi-Grand Award, Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition Award at the 24th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
  Received the Incentive Award at the 7th Kikuchi Bienalle
• 2019
  Received the Semi-Grand Award, Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition Award at the 25th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
• 2021
  Received the Grand Award, Governor Award at the 61st Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition