IKEDA YUUKO

Region: Osaka

Full profile coming to the blog soon!

After completing her studies in graphic design in San Diego, Osaka born artist Ikeda Yuuko returned to Japan and discovered her father had just picked up pottery as a hobby. She tagged along for fun and it gradually became a hobby of hers, too. Whilst working full-time for a design company, whenever she sought some form of relaxation, she turned to the wheel.

She continued to learn and progress, and eventually built her atelier where she made pieces on the weekdays and sold them on the weekend (In Japan it is extremely rare for ceremic artists to sell their own work through their workspace as they are usually sold to galleries and specialist shops). She explained that she was not confident at the time. But her talents spoke louder, as she was approached by different galleries, and her confidence began to build.

We were amazed by the creativity of a complete self-taught artist who crafted so many stunning pieces. While some of her pieces are influenced by her experiences of the sea, beaches, shells, etc, her work can sometimes follow a specific theme for a certain gallery. For instance, she recently finished some pieces with an artistic twist. Some of her fine pieces include glazing mixed with silver or gold.

A hearty welcoming to her studio/home despite a few changes to our schedule. We talked and laughed while drinking tea and sweets that she prepared for us. It almost felt like visiting an old friend, someone who is really cool and has great taste in art. We absolutely loved her home and it almost felt like a dream come true to spend the afternoon with her.