A Personal Encounter with the ceramics artist Shinya Tanoue 田ノ上 信也 in Kyoto, Japan

A Personal Encounter with the ceramics artist Shinya Tanoue in Kyoto, Japan

During my time in Kyoto, I had the incredible opportunity to meet Shinya Tanoue, an artist whose work has been quietly but powerfully reshaping the world of contemporary ceramics. Shinya’s path to ceramics wasn’t one he planned—he actually discovered the medium quite unexpectedly through a ceramic club, while he was studying theology at Doshisha University. This serendipitous encounter with clay set him on a new artistic journey, and I was lucky enough to sit down with him and learn more about how he’s transformed that journey into something truly extraordinary.

Our meeting took place in his studio, which had an immediate feeling of serenity. It was the kind of place where you could sense the deep connection between the artist and his craft. Shinya’s work is deeply rooted in the bold, experimental spirit of the Sodeisha movement—a groundbreaking wave of ceramic artists in post-war Kyoto who rebelled against the traditional, folk-art conventions of their time. I could feel that same sense of liberation in Shinya’s approach to ceramics, as though each piece is a direct expression of his inner world.

I was especially drawn to his use of shell-like forms, which have been a central motif in his work since 2007. Shinya explained that the shell represents both protection and vulnerability, a duality that mirrors the fragility and strength inherent in life itself. I was struck by how personal and universal his art feels—each piece seems to be about more than just form, but about a deeper reflection on existence. It made me think about how, in so many ways, the human experience is like a shell: both something that shields us and something that can be fragile or broken over time.

Shinya works meticulously with three types of clay, employing a coil technique to build up his forms. I watched him describe how he carves the surfaces, creating intricate textures and reliefs that seem to pulse with life. The attention to detail is incredible. He also explained his use of a cobalt-blue glaze on the interior of his pieces, which evokes the deep ocean—a symbol for him of life’s eternal wellspring. As I looked at one of his finished pieces, I could almost feel the energy radiating from it, a sense of life within the material.

What struck me most was how Shinya talked about his process—not just as a physical act, but as something spiritual. For him, ceramics isn’t just about shaping clay, it’s about connecting with something deeper. His works are like vessels for emotion, for thought, for all the things that can’t always be put into words. I remember him saying that the rough patches in his glaze, instead of being flaws, represent life’s rhythms—like breathing or the pulse of existence. These small, seemingly imperfect details gave his works a sense of vitality and authenticity that I hadn’t encountered in many other ceramics I’ve seen.

During our conversation, I couldn’t help but think how Shinya’s ceramics are so much more than objects; they’re like a mirror to our own human experience. Each piece speaks to life’s complexities—its cycles of birth, growth, fragility, and decay. Yet there’s also something incredibly hopeful in the way his work invites us to reflect on our place in the world. His art, with its flowing lines and symbolic forms, doesn’t just sit on a shelf—it lives in the space it occupies.

Shinya’s works have garnered recognition on an international scale, with pieces held in collections at The Museum of Kyoto, The Museum of Ceramic Art in Hyogo, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others. Despite this global acclaim, there’s something deeply humble and introspective about Shinya. His work speaks loudly, yet he seems to approach it with quiet reverence—always exploring, always experimenting, always searching for a deeper truth in the process.

Meeting Shinya Tanoue was a profound experience that left me reflecting on art in a way I hadn’t before. His ceramics are more than just beautiful objects—they are living, breathing expressions of the human experience. Each piece, carefully crafted and thoughtfully designed, feels like a whisper from the past and a conversation with the future. I left his studio feeling not just inspired, but connected to something bigger than myself—an emotional resonance that I know will stay with me for a long time.

If you ever find yourself in Kyoto, I highly recommend seeking out Shinya’s work. It’s not just about looking at ceramics—it’s about experiencing them on a deeper level. His art invites you to pause, reflect, and connect with the pulse of life itself.