Fujiwara Kei

(1899-1983)

The second Living National Treasure designated for the mastery of Bizen wares, FUJIWARA KEI first worked as a writer and poet before turning to the study of ceramics at the age of 40. After meeting Kaneshige Tōyō, the first Living National Treasure for Bizen wares, in 1941 and learning the techniques Kaneshige had so famously recreated, Fujiwara began making his own mark in the field of Bizen ceramics. In 1970, he was designated a Living National Treasure. His son, Fujiwara Yū (1932-2001), also a Living National Treasure, and grandson, Fujiwara Kazu (b. 1958), have carried on their patriarch’s legacy.

Selected Major Public Collections:

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
FAN Museum/Kei Fujiwara Memorial Museum, Japan
Hagi Uragami Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan
Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Kasama, Japan
Miho Museum, Shiga, Japan
Mills College Art Museum, Oakland, CA
Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN
Museo Etnológico de Barcelona, Spain
National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
Pola Museum of Art, Hakone, Japan