Akira Yamada
KYOTO, B. 1959
Akira Yamada’s career as a ceramic artist spans three decades. He mentored under his father Hikaru Yamada, the renowned avant-garde ceramicist who founded Sōdeisha (along with Yagi Kazuo and others). In his 40s, Yamada developed a technique he calls "Shōjōhi” (or burning red) which involves an immensely intricate series of glazing processes, gold and silver over-glazing, and control of the kiln firing process.
Yamada will be part of a duo artist exhibition “Desert Sun” opening in December 2024 at Curagenda Galerie.
Scarlet Vessel no. 1 , 2024 (Porcelain, glaze, enamel with silver and gold; 19.5 x 41 x 36 cm / 7.7 x 16 x 14 inches)
Scarlet Vessel no. 2 , 2024 (Porcelain, glaze, enamel with silver and gold; 21 x 15 x 13.8 cm / 8 x 6 x 5.5 inches)
Scarlet Vessel no. 1 , 2024 (Porcelain, glaze, enamel with silver and gold; 24 x 15 x 13.8 cm / 9.5 x 6 x 5.5 inches)
Akira Yamada | Curriculum Vitae
Education
1983 Completed Kyoto Prefectural Pottery Vocational Training School
1984 Graduated from Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Center Main Course
Solo Exhibitions
1993 Gallery Maronie (Kyoto), Gallery Genkai (Tokyo)
1997 Flower of Soil (Tokyo)
1998 Gallery Nin (Tokyo)
1999 Gallery Kitano-zaka (Kobe)
Gallery Utsuwa-kan (Kyoto, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2020)
2000 Matsuya Ginza (Tokyo)
2001 Gallery Plus (Tokyo, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019)
2006 Gallery Nishikawa (Kyoto, 2018)
2010 Gion Konishi (Kyoto)
2011 Gallery Kurimoto (2018)
2012 Tenmaya Hiroshima Store
2013 Tokyu Shibuya Main Store, Tenmaya Okayama Store
2014 LIXIL Gallery
2017 Rokurokudo (Kyoto, 2019, 2021)
2018 Tenmaya Okayama Store
Group Exhibitions
1986 Asahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition 1987, '86 Japan Craft Exhibition 1988
Asahi Pottery Exhibition 1989, Ceramic Annex Shigaraki '89 (Shiga Prefecture Modern Art Museum)
1991 Tin, Leather, Pottery - Three-Person Exhibition (Itami City Craft Center, Hyogo)
1992 The Wall Exhibition (Mitsukoshi Kyoto Gion Gallery, Awaji-cho Gallery/Tokyo, Mashiko Pottery Village/Tochigi)
1994 Beyond Vessel - Concept of Vessel (McDougall Museum, New Zealand)
La Parfum (Gallery KUKI/Paris, France)
1996 Around the Clay Exhibition (Saint Jacques Church/Paris, France)
2000 International Pottery Exchange Exhibition (China Art Museum/Beijing)
2003 2003 Contemporary Korean-Japanese Pottery Exhibition (Kumho Museum/Seoul)
Korean-Japanese Pottery Artists Exchange Exhibition (Gallery SAGAN/Kyoto)
2005 Pottery Coloring Homeland (Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Forest)
2006 Beyond the Border (Singapore National Library)
2007 Invited to Asahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition (Hankyu Department Store/Osaka, Yokohama)
SOF A New York (New York)
2009 Ceramic Form VI (Gallery Kurimoto/Nagaoka, Niigata)
Standing Shapes (Wako Namiki Hall/Tokyo)
2010 Paramita Pottery Grand Prize Exhibition (Paramita Museum/Mie)
2011 Contemporary Crafts Art Fair (Tokyo International Forum)
2012 Porcelain Expression - Blue, Red, White (Wako Hall/Tokyo)
2013 Challenge to New Era Ceramics (Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Forest)
2014 Korea-Japan Exchange Exhibition (Heyri Art Village)
Kyoto Pottery Historical Exhibition - Inheritance and Development (Kyoto City Museum of Art)
2016 Meyer x Shigaraki Grand Prize - Tradition and Innovation in Japanese Pottery (Meyer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Forest)
2017 Dramatic Vessel Exhibition (Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Forest, Iwate Prefectural Museum)
Eastern Influences (Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia)
2021 "Tile Considerations - From a Ceramic Perspective" (Tajimi City Mosaic Tile Museum)
2022 Contemporary Vessel - Takahiro Kondo x Akira Yamada (Wako Hall)
Transition of Hokkaido Ceramics Vol. 2 - Contemporary Ceramics Now (Sapporo Art Museum)
Other
2008 Utsuwa Dream Workshop on NHK BS
2011 Guest Artist (Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Forest)
Collections
Shiga Prefecture Ceramic Forest, Kyoto City Museum of Art