Bizen ware ​

Yukiko Akai /あかい ゆきこ

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I was born in a mountain village in Okayama City and grew up running around a satoyama with abundant nature.
This childhood experience still seems to be my starting point,

Since I was a child, I have been strongly attracted to the natural objects and phenomena that the earth produces, such as soil, water, fire, wind, and plants.
Then, I came to want to capture and express the beautiful moment of the changing natural flow.

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Bizen ware does not use artificially processed things such as glaze, while making the best use of the characteristics of the soil itself.

It is a pottery made with flames. It looked like the ideal figure I was looking for.

I would like to express it with this simple but gentle and strong pottery.

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1986 Born in Seto-cho, Higashi-ku, Okayama (formerly Akaiwa-gun)

2008 Joined Bizen Ceramics Center, Okayama Prefectural Industrial Technology Center

2008 Studied under Bizen ware artist Tadashi Hirakawa

2009 Bizen Ceramics Center Ceramic Engineer Training Completed

・ ・ ・ (From this year, I also made my own work in my kiln at home)

2017 Completed 9 years of training and became independent

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Overseas Collaboration

2018 Texas Christian University Joint Arkansas Earthenware Project (Fired) USA

2015 Texas Christian University Joint Arkansas Earthenware Kiln Project (earthen kiln construction kiln / firing) USA

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Solo exhibition

2017 "GIFTS FROM THE EARTH Yukiko Akai Ceramics Exhibition [Debut Gift]" HIRO CHIKASHIGE GALLERY

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Group exhibition (museums / museums)

2018 "Recent Acquisitions" The Museum of the Red River Collection Exhibition Idabel / Oklahoma USA

2017 "Bizen Crafts Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" Bizen Municipal Bizen Pottery Museum Special Exhibition Okayama

       "Reconstruction of medieval old kiln Hirakawa Tadashi kiln project-Reviving earth kiln-" Bizen City Bizen Pottery Museum Special Exhibition Okayama  

2016  63rd Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Okayama Exhibition Related Projects "Building More Traditional Crafts Kilns" Introduces Earthenware Projects and Exhibits Works (both Japan and the United States) Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art Special Exhibition Okayama

       "Efforts of old kiln restoration potter Tadashi Hirakawa 2 American clay kiln project" Shiko Munakata / Michihiro Yanai Memorial Hall (M & Y Memorial Hall) Okayama

        World Archaeological Conference WAC-8 Related Forum Earth Kiln Works Exhibition (both Japan and the United States) Kyoto Prefectural Museum of Kyoto Kyoto

       "Spring Women's Writing Exhibition" Bizen Municipal Bizen Pottery Museum Special Exhibition Okayama

        1st Warabisha Exhibition "Incomplete Imperfect" Kurashiki City Art Museum Gallery Okayama

2015 Kibi Special Instrument Stand Reproduction Project "Reprint Yayoi Pottery & Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition" Return to Origin " -In Search of New Ceramics from Bizen Fuchigen-" Setouchi City Museum of Art Gallery Okayama

2013 Earth kiln exhibition Bizen City Buried Cultural Property Management Center Special Exhibition Okayama

2012   "Bizen ware born from Hinase oyster rafts" Bizen City Buried Cultural Property Management Center Okayama

 

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Group exhibition (gallery)

2020 Hinomanren, Tonoyuki's ultimate! Japan Bizen Ware Daishimachi Tadashi Hirakawa, Yukiko Akai Taitan Special Exhibition Taipei, Taiwan

2018 TSUCHIGAMA / EARTHEN KILN Artspace111 Fort Worth / Texas USA

2015 TSUCHIGAMA / EARTHEN KILN GALLERY76102 Fort Worth / Texas USA

2014 "KUA'AT!" Hiroshima Arts Center 4-person exhibition

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Art event

2021 "EXHIBITION ZEN & BE-ZEN IV Yugi Zanmai" Gokokuyama Sogenzenji Okayama

2019 "Art Exhibition SHIZUTANI" Special Historic Site Former Shizutani School Okayama

     "EXHIBITION ZEN & BE-ZENⅢ Chisoku" Gokokuyama Sogenzenji Okayama

2018 "EXHIBITION ZEN & BE-ZENⅡ is being utilized" Gokokuyama Sogenzenji Okayama

2016 Bizen ware clay kiln project in Sogenji Zenji "Zen and Bizen Exhibition (ZEN & BE-ZEN)" Gokokuyama Sogenzenji Okayama

2014 Shinkoji Art Project 2014 2nd “Temple Museum”

2013 Yunogo Art Project "Ceramic Tea Party"

2012 Shinkoji Art Project 2012 “Temple Museum”

2011 Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza, Okayama Prefecture 50th Anniversary Exhibition Room Proposal Project "100 People 100 Colors Exhibition-Playing with Objects-"

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Joint project

2017  Project to reproduce medieval Bizen ware (Agency for Cultural Affairs / Regional characteristic buried cultural property utilization project)

2013  Restoration of Bizen ware medieval Omika

2013  Kibi Special Instrument Stand Reprint Project (Tatetsuki / Tatesaka Type Special Instrument Stand)

2012  Local circulation type environmental and energy measures project "Bizen ware born from Hinase oyster raft"

2010 ~  Bizen ware medieval old kiln restoration clay kiln project

 

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Bizen ware research and lecture

2020 "Okayama 100 Kaigi vol.8" "Bizen ware potter who was fascinated by the earthenware over time" KSB Setonaikai Broadcasting

​        Medieval Bizen ware comprehensive survey (Kamakura-Nanbokucho period) excavation survey Bizen City

2016 World Archaeological Conference WAC-8 Related Forum Announces Restoration of Omika Kyoto Prefectural Museum of Kyoto

Report on the results of activities in the United States at the "Tokiki Project Symposium" Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

2015 Presented research related to Bizen ware (similar kiln) at "Oriental Ceramic Society Okayama Conference" Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

       Report on the results of activities in the United States at the "Clay Kiln Symposium" (Clay kiln construction kiln, firing, etc.) Texas Christian University USA

        Archaeological excavation around the nationally designated historic site "Bizen Pottery Kiln Site" (Muromachi-Azuchi-Momoyama period) Bizen City

2014 "Awareness from the jar manufacturing process-Verification / restoration from observation-" Announcement Bizen History Forum 2013 Bizen City

2011 Nationally designated historic site "Bizen pottery kiln ruins" excavation survey around kiln ruins (late Heian period) Bizen city

2010 Nationally designated historic site "Bizen pottery kiln ruins" excavation survey around kiln ruins (North and South Dynasties) Bizen City

 

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Public collection
2018-US Oklahoma Museum of the Red River

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Media publication / review

Sanyo Shimbun

Nashville News Front News

Oklahoma German Newspapers, USA Front News

Monthly Gallery November 2017 Issue (Masashi Ogura's Contemporary Art Course 54)

NHK Okayama Broadcasting Station News Special

RSK Sanyo Broadcasting News Special

KSB Setonaikai Broadcasting

 

 

Membership of professional institutions

Bizen clay kiln 2020 ~

Medieval Bizen Yaki Study Group   2015 ~

Oriental Ceramic Society  2015 ~

Bizen ware medieval old kiln restoration "earth kiln" project committee 2014-