Shigaraki Ceramics Exhibition

Exhibition Shigaraki presents works by eight ceramic artists from Japan and Finland. The stylistically different artists have all stayed at ceramic art residence in Shigaraki, Japan.

Shigaraki is one of the oldest pottery producing places in Japan. Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (SCCP) was opened in 1990 to promote local pottery industry and culture.

The Finnish Institute in Japan has been collaborating with SCCP since 2017 by organising an annual residency for one Finland based ceramic artist.

This exhibition, produced by the Finnish Institute in Japan, presents both the artists from the institute’s residency programme, as well as a selection of Japanese artists who have stayed in the Shigaraki artist residence. The artists and works have been selected by SCCP’s director emeritus Michio Sugiyama.

ARTISTS (Residency in Shigaraki)
Yuri Fukuoka, Japan (1.12.2015–12.3.2016 / 17.8.–28.11.2017)
Tomonari Hashimoto, Japan (numerous periods between 1.4.2016 – 30.4.2021)
Tomoko Konno, Japan (numerous periods between 20.6.2016 – 24.9.2019)
Matias Karsikas, (Finland 10.10.–15.11.2017)
Riyoo Kim, Japan (numerous periods between 18.5.2018 – 3.5.2021)
Man Yau, Finland (16.10.–1.12.2018)
Erin Turkoglu, Finland (16.10.–23.11.2019)
Emil Lyytikkä, Finland (2022)

Shigaraki 信楽

8.–24.6.2021
Lokal Gallery (Annankatu 9)
Opening hours: Tue – Fri 12-18, Sat 11-16
Free entrance

Photo: Yuri Fukuoka: Blue Journey, 2019

Artists

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Photo: Yuri Fukuoka	Yuri Fukuoka: “Blue Journey”, 2019
Yuri Fukuoka Yuri Fukuoka (b. 1987) is an artist, who has been two times at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, in 2015 and 2017. In her works Fukuoka makes the porcelain extremely thin and dyes it pale-blue. From 2015 she has actively taken part in symposiums, workshops and residencies outside Japan, for example in Germany, Ukraine, Russia and China.
Photo: Gentoku Katakura	Tomonari Hashimoto: Untitled, 2020
Tomonari Hashimoto Tomonari Hashimoto (b. 1990) is a Japanese artist born in Wakayama, Japan. In 2017 he completed the doctoral program in crafts and ceramics at Kanazawa College of Arts. Hashimoto has had exhibitions not only in Japan but also in South Korea, Hong Kong and London. He won the semi-grand prize at Kobe Biennale 2015 Contemporary Ceramic Art Competition, as well as received the Sankeishinbun Prize at the Kyoto Art for Tomorrow 2019 Exhibition.
Photo: Tomoko Konno	Tomoko Konno: “Peace from Kyoto”, 2020
Tomoko Konno Tomoko Konno (b. 1967) graduated from Bunka Women’s University in Tokyo, and studied ceramic in Hong Kong. The traditional nerikomi technique is used in her ceramic work, creating patterns to depict the picture of nature with her own interpretation. Her work has been shown in select cities in Japan, Europe and China. Winner of numerous awards and recognized internationally, Tomoko’s work has a signature style of intricacy and attention to detail.
Photo: lokalhelsinki.com	Matias Karsikas: “Vadelmametsä”, 2021
Matias Karsikas Matias Karsikas (b. 1989) is a sculptor working in ceramics, glass and wood, whose techniques are time-consuming and often self-developed. His works feature various levels, insights, and dynamics, and the atmosphere is achieved through small and authentic things. The use of colours is bold, and the objects work from all directions.
Photo: Kosuke Tamura	Riyoo Kim: “a body of the vanity”, 2021
Riyoo Kim Riyoo Kim was born in Osaka in 1980 to a Japanese father and a Korean mother. In 2006 he completed the master’s program at the Graduate School of the Creative Arts, Osaka University of Arts. Since 2004 he has exhibited his works in numerous solo and group exhibitions and in international art fairs. In 2009, he won the semi-grand prize at the Kobe Biennale 2009 Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition.
Photo: Diana Luganski	Man Yau: “MY-4” from the series “Shiga-Love”, 2018
Man Yau Man Yau (b.1991) is a Helsinki based artist. Yau’s works thread a balance between traditional methods and craftsmanship and industrial, detailed form and quality. Essential to her practice is working with demanding materials such as stone and glass, which require slow and delicate techniques of carving and cutting.
Photo: Camilo Cortes	Erin Turkoglu: “Loop No 8”, 2021
Erin Turkoglu Erin Turkoglu is a Helsinki based Turkish artist and designer, working with the subtlety of material and colour. She works in her Helsinki studio with a hands-on process mainly with ceramic materials. Inspired by architecture, poetic expression, juxtapositions and, most importantly, the making process itself, she creates otherworldly objects that exist somewhere in-between art and design.
Photo: Ananya Tanttu	Emil Lyytikkä: “Artefakt”, 2020
Emil Lyytikkä Emil Lyytikkä (b.1996) is a Helsinki-based artist. He is currently finishing his MA in Textile Design at Aalto University. Lyytikkä likes to wander in hardware stores to discover tools and objects that could influence his work. DIY culture has recently been a topic of interest for him. Lyytikkä enjoys working with a wide range of materials, from ceramics to plastics. Combining traditional with novel techniques has determined his latest pieces.