Ryota Aoki | potter

Today I wanted to share 2 potters that I recently discovered, both of whom are Japanese. They both create functional pottery yet stylistically they couldn’t be farther apart.

Thirty two-year old potter Ryota Aoki has had a fairly distinguished career so far. His work has appeared twice in the prestigious Takaoka Craft Competition – Bijoux, his 2nd attempt in 2005, won him the top prize. Bijoux went on to win silver at the 4th World Ceramic Biennial in 2007.

What I admire about Aoki’s work is that it possesses a strong energy that enhances the imagination of the user. The sculptural beauty is perhaps the one defining feature that sets Aoki’s work apart from his contemporaries.