Suzuki Tetsu

Born 1964, Tajimi City, Gifu, Japan

Son of the Living National Treasure for Shino ware Suzuki Osamu (Kura), SUZUKI TETSU originally had no intention of pursuing a career in ceramics. Although he assisted his father in glaze preparation and firing, he never felt inclined to become a ceramist himself; rather, his goal was to become a museum curator. As a college student, he majored in history and studied Buddhist art. At the suggestion of one of his instructors, a fan of his father’s, after graduating he enrolled in a professional ceramics institute. Upon seeing his own ceramic works emerge from the kiln, he realized that he, like his father, was born to be a ceramist.

Suzuki Tetsu endeavors to create highly original tea ware unconstrained by the traditional rules of Japanese ceramics. His works are often covered with his signature oribe-like green copper glaze. Though looking to traditional kōgei forms and glazes, his goal is not to simply replicate these ancient techniques, but to enliven them with his contemporary spirit, exposing them to a new, younger generation of enthusiasts.