Yasuda, Takeshi

First name: 
Takeshi
Initials: 
T.
Surname: 
Yasuda
Year of birth: 
1943
Birthplace: 
Tokyo
Country of birth: 
Japan
Working period: 
1963
CV: 

Takeshi Yasuda got his education at the Daisei-Gama Pottery in Mashiko, Japan from 1963 till 1966. In 1963 he established his workshop in Mashiko. Here he created mostly reduction stoneware in ash glazes for ceramics to use. In 1973 he moved to Bath, UK. In 1984 he had to change firing with an electric oven. In around 1985 the Sancai-series, inspired by the Tang Dynasty, was born. In the late 1990’s he developed his creamware-series, inspired by the English white, as used by the many factories in Stoke-on-Trent. The decision of using porcelain came around 2000. Takeshi uses the porcelain clay without any additional colour and subsequently he began to experiment with celadon glazes. In porcelain two series were developed, Folding and Unfolding. In the Unfolding series the thrown pieces are hung upside down during drying. In the Folding series forms retain their shape during firing. Since setting up a second studio in Jingdezhen, China in 2005, he has continued his development of celadon, working with many different varieties of porcelain clay. Most of his pieces are intended for the serving of food, generous dishes, plates and jugs, which encourage the celebration and ritual of a meal.

In the Netherlands Takeshi Yasuda was represented by Gallery Carla Koch, Amsterdam. In 2015 a solo exhibition is held in Galerie Terra Delft, Delft (NL).

Pictures: portrait, around 2010; bowl in the Sancai-technique, 1988 (collection Capriolus, sold); three objects in creamware, around 1998 (source Adrian Sassoon Gallery); unfolded porcelain bowl with golden glaze, 2013 (source Galerie Terra Delft); porcelain bowl with platinum (source Goldmark Gallery).

Work of the artist: 

'I like making functional pottery, not for moral or aestetic reasons but because I love eating. I like cooking, eating and making pots and they all go together' (Cooper 2009).

Bibliography: 

- Cooper, Emmanuel, Contemporary ceramics, London 2009.
- Bunskoek, Barbara, 'Takeshi Yasuda, porselein op zijn kop', in: Klei, Keramiek Magazine, november 2015.