Hiroshi Sakai

About the Artist

A Ceramic Artist Carrying on Tradition and Pursuing Innovation

Ceramic artist Hiroshi Sakai adds a modern touch to traditional Shino ware and creates unique indigo colored Shino ware. The original Shino ware is usually tinged with pale pink under the white glaze, but Sakai's artwork is based on a deep indigo color. After graduating from university, he studied at the Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center, and then studied under Kozo Kato, Living National Treasure for Setoguro (black Seto). While inheriting the traditional techniques, his artwork is full of high skills and unique ideas. The shriveled and grainy glaze that occurs from the shrinkage of the glaze is in beautiful harmony with the simple and symmetrically formed vessel. Sakai's artwork is highly evaluated, and has been added to the collections of art museums in Japan and overseas including the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, Italy, and is gaining worldwide attention.

Biography

• 1960
  Born in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture
• 1983
  Graduated from Nagoya Institute of Technology
• 1985
  Completed course at Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center
  Studied under Kozo Kato
• 1992
  Selected for the 30th Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition (selected 4 times from this year onward)
• 1995
  Selected for the 4th Ceramics Biennale '95 (selected twice from this year onward)
• 1998
  Selected for the 2nd Mashiko Ceramics Competition (selected twice from this year onward)
  Selected for the 5th International Ceramics Festival Mino '98, Ceramics Category
• 2001
  Selected for the 48th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
  Selected for the 63rd Issuikai Ceramics Exhibition (also for the 64th in 2002)
• 2003
  Selected for the 53rd International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art, “Faenza Prize” (Faenza, Italy)
  Selected for the 17th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (also for the 19th in 2007)
• 2004
  Selected for the 1st Taiwan Ceramics Biennale International Competition (also for the 2nd in 2008 and the 4th in 2016)
  Selected for the 51st Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2005
  Selected for the 1st Kikuchi Biennale
  Selected for the 54th International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art, “Faenza Prize” (Faenza, Italy)
  Selected for the 52nd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2006
  Selected for the 53rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2007
  Selected for the 4th World Ceramic Biennale 2007 Korea (also for the 5th in 2008)
  Selected for the 54th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2008
  Selected for the 55th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2009
  Selected for the 56th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2010
  Selected for the 57th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2011
  Selected for the 58th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2012
  Selected for the 59th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2013
  Selected for the 60th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2014
  Selected for the 2nd Tobiten (selected every year from this year onward)
  Selected for the 61st Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2015
  Selected for the 59th International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art, “Faenza Prize” (Faenza, Italy)
• 2016
  Selected for the 63rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2017
  Selected for the 64th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2018
  Selected for the 65th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2019
  Selected for the 66th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2020
  Selected for the 67th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2021
  Selected for the 68th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2022
  Selected for the 69th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2023
  Selected for the 70th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition

Awards

• 2002
  Received the Silver Award at the 6th International Ceramics Festival Mino '02, Ceramics Category
• 2010
  Received the Iwakuni Art Museum Award at the 2nd The Hagi Taisho (Grand Prix) of Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition
  Received the Honorary Mention Award at the 72nd Issuikai Ceramics Exhibition
• 2013
  Received the Ceramic Art Society of Japan Award (Grand Award) at the 1st Tobiten
  Received the Mie Board of Education Award at the 44th Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2019
  Received the Interior Aqua Award (Excellence Award) at the 6th Tobiten
• 2022
  Received the Takashimaya Award (Excellence Award) at the 10th Tobiten
• 2026
  Japan Kōgei Association Award, 57th Tōkai Traditional Kōgei Exhibition

Public Collections

• The Japan Foundation
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu
• Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu
• International Museum of Ceramics
• New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum
• Icheon World Ceramics Center (South Korea)