Yoshiaki Yuki
Drawing from imagery hidden within the written characters, Yuki sees himself as not a calligrapher of words but an artist. Generally, Yuki uses ‘washi’ (traditional Japanese paper) as his canvas, but he doesn’t allow himself to be constrained by conventionality, using different mediums of design, including folding screens, clay and more general interior design to express his creativity.
LIFE & CAREER
Yoshiaki Yuki was born in Kagoshima in 1945, and has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, and America. His initial work was particularly influenced by abstract expressionism. His solo exhibition 'Lake Zurich' was held in 1975 at the Modern Art Center in Zurich, Switzerland.
Progressing since 1993 with his creative activities based on the concept of 'JISHOJIGA', he has held over 50 exhibitions throughout Japan. In 2004, Gallery Gen featured 'Freehand Drawing', his first solo exhibition in New York, which was taken up by The New York Times, etc. and showered with praise. He also collaborated with world-renowned textile artist Junichi Arai in presenting textile products based on the concept of 'Freehand Drawing’.
Today, Yuki's work can be found on display all over the world, including Long House Reserve (an American nonprofit art organization in New York), the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (the world's tallest building completed in 2010), etc. He is a trend- setter loved by collectors in New York, Chicago, Miami, London, Madrid, New Delhi, and throughout Japan.
YUKI & WAKA
Yoshiaki Yuki is seen as one of the driving forces that made Kasama and Mashiko pottery the vibrant, exciting ceramics scene that it is today. With two very successful galleries in Tokyo and New York, Yuki was able to curate and encourage a host of the most creative ceramists from the Kasama and Mashiko pottery region. As Waka Artisans mainly specialises in pottery from Kasama and Mashiko, we are incredibly honoured to have Yuki's work on display in our gallery.
