8. Katō Tsubusa 加藤委

Kato Tsubusa (b. 1962, Tajimi, Gifu) is a scion of an ancient lineage of potters and became familiar with the art of pottery at an early age. He studied at the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute, after which he initially performed simpler work in a studio, such as clay kneading and production work on a mechanical potter's wheel. It wasn't until he came into contact with white porcelain after a few years that he became truly passionate about creating ceramics. He left the company, became independent and soon built his own kiln.  His work was well received, and after his talent was recognized and purchased by the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, his career went quickly with numerous exhibitions in museums and renowned galleries.  The work of Kato Tsubusa is powerful and aggressive and is characterized by sharply shaped forms that appear to have been carved with powerful hews of a machete, but it contrasts beautifully with the transparent light blue glaze, which is sometimes thickly, sometimes thinly overlaid or even absent altogether to emphasize and accentuate the rough, white surface. He has made large sculptures as well as many traditional utensils such as jugs, vases and tea bowls, which are often art objects rather than functional utensils due to their size and shape.

Kato Tsubusa's work is included in numerous museum collections such as The Art Institute of Chicago Ishikawa Prefectural Kutani Institute of Technology/Brooklyn Museum of Art in New york, the Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Gifu and the Victoria & Albert Museum (UK).