Katō Tsubusa

(1962-2025) Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Born into a family with a history of pottery making that stretches back to the Momoyama Period (1573-1615), KATŌ TSUBASA learned the art form at a young age. Even though he was not initially interested in ceramics, he decided to pursue pottery making after travelling extensively in his youth. Upon graduating from the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute in 1979, Katō entered a studio where he mixed clay and worked on mass-produced pots. Within five years, Katō had built his own kiln in Tomika-chō and exhibited at the Asahi Ceramic Art Exposition. The rapid pace at which his career took off speaks to the true talent that he is.

Katō worked exclusively with clay from New Zealand. He carved his works, sometimes incorporating fragments that resulted from the force applied to the clay during this process back into the pieces. The works manifest motion, not tranquility. Random glaze reactions in the kiln and his formative process combine in complex ways to create works of sharpness and tension that are often inspired by the sharp jagged edges of swords or knives. The rough surfaces serve to emphasize and accent the natural flaws in clay.

Selected Public Collections:

Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill, NC
Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, Japan
Aichi Prefectural Library and Archives, Japan
Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Brooklyn Museum, NY
Cincinnati Art Museum, OH
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
Dayton Art Institute, OH
Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Japan
Ishikawa Prefectural Institute for Kutani Pottery, Japan
Kyoto Shimbun, Japan
Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN
Mino Ceramic Art Museum, Tajimi, Japan
Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
Musée Tomo, Tokyo, Japan
Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, Japan
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
San Antonio Museum of Art, TX
Uchida Collection, Japan
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK