YOSHIMURA Toshiharu
| present | Instructor, Kyoto Seika University Part-time Lecturer, Kyoto University of Art and Design |
| 1998-00 | Instructor, Kyoto City University of Arts |
| 1998 | M.F.A., Kyoto City University of Arts |
| 1996 | B.F.A., Kyoto Seika University Faculty of Arts |
| 1973 | Born in Osaka Prefecture |
Solo Exhibitions
| 2017 | THE AESTHETICS OF EROSION, Keiko Art International |
| 2013 | The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Togeikan Gallery, Shiga |
| 2012 | Gallery Nawa, Osaka |
| 2011 | Gallery Utsuwakan, Kyoto |
| 2009 | Gallery Tazawa, Kyoto (’06) |
| 2008 | Sands of Time, KEIKO Gallery, Boston MA Gallery Suzuki, Kyoto Gallery Tousai, Tokyo |
| 2007 | Toh-Bi Art Fair, Tokyo Bijutsu Club, Tokyo Tajima Bijutsu Aoyama, Tokyo |
| 2006 | INAX GALLERY2, Tokyo |
| 2005 | ENTREZ, Kobe INAX TILE MUSEUM, Aichi |
| 2004 | studio J, Osaka Gallery Esprit Nouveau, Okayama |
| 2003 | INAX Galleria Ceramica, Tokyo Gallery SHOKANDO, Kyoto (’01) |
| 2002 | ENTREZ, Kobe studio J, Osaka |
| 1997 | DOJIDAI Gallery, Kyoto Gallery MARONIE, Kyoto |
Group Exhibitions
| 2015 | Nippon! Contemporary Arts and Crafts from Japan, ESH Gallery, Milan, Italy Dialogue with Materials: Contemporary Japanese Arts an Crafts, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey |
| 2014 | Dialogue with Materials: Contemporary Japanese Arts an Crafts, Ahmed Adnen Saygun Sanat Merkezi, Izmir, Turkey |
| 2010 | Ceramic Art Grand Prize Exhibition, Paramita Museum, Mie |
| 2009 | “The 5th International Competition 2009” Korea Kobe Biennale, Kobe |
| 2008 | SOFA Chicago (’06) |
| 2007 | SOFA New York Kobe Biennale Ceramic Competition, Hyogo Tobi Art Fair, Tokyo Bijutsu Club, Tokyo |
| 2006 | Ceramics of 3 persons、GION KONISHI, Kyoto |
| 2005 | KEIHANNA Art Festival, Kyoto |
| 2004 | Exhibition of 11 persons, INAX TILE MUSEUM, Aichi |
| 2003 | Art Court Frontier 2003, Art Court gallery, Osaka |
| 2002 | Asahi Ceramic Exhibition Selected New Artists -New Wave-, The Museum of Kyoto |
| 2001 | Tenri Biennale, Nara International Craft Exhibition Kanazawa, Ishikawa |
| 2000 | Kyoto Bijutus-Kougei Exhibition, The Museum of Kyoto Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition Toki, Gifu |
| 2014 | grand prix / the design devision, 10th International Ceramics Competition Mino |
| 2010 | Hokkaido Broadcast Award, Otaki Hokkaido Ceramic Art Competition, Hokkaido |
| 2005 | Grand Prize, KEIHANNA Art Festival, Kyoto |
| 2001 | DOYUSHA Prize, TENRI Biennale |
- TOKI city
- Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MN
- INAX Tile Museum, Aichi
- XIV Kyoto Yaserikyu, Kyoto
When I was studying ceramics in college my teacher asked me, “What is firing for you?”
At the time I believed that, in addition to ideas, forms and colors were the most important aspects of ceramics; firing was nothing more than a process to harden the ceramics. However, I was growing more interested in clay as a material and curious about what else was taking place during firing beyond the physical change.
During the past ten years—through many different processes of trial and error-- my signature Erosion Series has now begun to express my goals. Among many failed experiences in the beginning there occurred an unforgettable episode when I fired a bowl using natural ash glaze. The surface of the bowl was covered by spots where the glaze had melted and fused onto the clay and other spots where the glaze had not melted which were only bare clay. This was because the temperature in the electric kiln (combination with gas) was not high enough.
At first I thought the bowl was a failure as a work of art, but I also realized the piece had captured the phenomenon that occurred in the kiln when the soluble and insoluble materials combined. This was exciting and inspired me! But I needed to learn how to achieve this same effect intentionally, and not just accidentally.
Through trial and error I developed a technique of ‘sandwiching’ the soluble glaze between the two insoluble materials of clay and powdered alumina. During the firing these materials undergo dissolution, erosion and concretion, and the difference in the use of the natural ash glaze instead of a prepared glaze revealed dramatically the effects of the surface erosion created by the ash glaze.
I have realized that the intensity of the heat during the firing is what produces the ‘eroded’ surfaces of my current work. So, here twenty years later, I have the answer to my teacher’s question!