Keiichi Shimizu - Contemporary Tanba Pottery

Born in 1962 in Tanba into a potter family spanning four generations, Shimizu was more interested in pushing boundary of the art than adhering to traditional styles. He went to Kyoto to study pottery at Kyoto City Vocational School. After returned to Tanba in 1984, he launched a very productive career in pursuit of his own artistic vision, producing some of the most innovative works in contemporary Japanese ceramics. In a career spanning almost three decades, Shimizu has won many awards. These include the Grand Prize of Hyogo Prefecture Art & Crafts Show, Modern Craft Award in Japan Modern Art & Crafts Show, and the Excellence Award in Tanabe Museum Cha-no-yu Show.

Sleek, minimalist forms are a distinctive hallmark of Shimizu’s work. The lines are clean and graceful, the surfaces taut and uncluttered. Curves are used sparingly and with purpose, to hold together the exquisite lines and introduce tension and visual interests to the stark geometry. Colors are kept soft and muted, to complement rather than compete with the beautiful shapes. The overall results are noble, elegant forms that belie great conceptual sophistication and meticulous attention to details, a refreshingly modern interpretation of the quiet aesthetic in old Tanba tradition.

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