Kakurezaki Ryuichi 隠崎隆一 b. 1950

Born in Nagasaki in 1950, Kakurezaki Ryuichi 隠崎隆一 is a celebrated contemporary ceramic artist specializing in Bizen pottery. He is known for his daring forms and tasteful surfaces that show off the variations of Bizen clay. Stemming from what is arguably the most famous pottery center of Japan, Bizen Okayama is home to numerous Bizen potters who take form to a sculptural level. Certainly the work of Kakurezaki achieves this sentiment.

Bizen, Shigaraki, Tokoname, Seto, Echizen, and Tamba are the six ancient kilns of Japan. Bizen's kiln sites can be traced back to the 13th century, and generations of artists have developed a strong tradition from its fertile lands.

Kakurezaki has mentored a generation of Bizen artists, such as the contemporary artist Ichikawa Toru, and others. His work showcases the quintessential spirit of Yakimono pottery, and has been collected to many institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and others.