Teruri Yamawaki
Yamawaki was born in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture in 1989. After approximately five years of studying abroad in Indonesia and Portugal, she graduated from Kasama College of Ceramic Art in 2022 and joined the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in the same year.
Drawing from her experience in foreign countries, where diverse beliefs are deeply rooted, as well as her own upbringing, she began to contemplate on “peace of mind”, which led her to create objects that aim to provide a small sense of comfort for people.
Her major exhibitions include solo exhibition “Sanctuary” (atelier & gallery creava, 2023), “Ceramic Synergy” (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art), “Human Bonds” (AIFA), and “The 10th Kikuchi Biennial Exhibition” (Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum).
Yamawaki was born in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture in 1989. After approximately five years of studying abroad in Indonesia and Portugal, she graduated from Kasama College of Ceramic Art in 2022 and joined the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in the same year.
Drawing from her experience in foreign countries, where diverse beliefs are deeply rooted, as well as her own upbringing, she began to contemplate on “peace of mind”, which led her to create objects that aim to provide a small sense of comfort for people.
Her major exhibitions include solo exhibition “Sanctuary” (atelier & gallery creava, 2023), “Ceramic Synergy” (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art), “Human Bonds” (AIFA), and “The 10th Kikuchi Biennial Exhibition” (Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum).
Yamawaki was born in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture in 1989. After approximately five years of studying abroad in Indonesia and Portugal, she graduated from Kasama College of Ceramic Art in 2022 and joined the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in the same year.
Drawing from her experience in foreign countries, where diverse beliefs are deeply rooted, as well as her own upbringing, she began to contemplate on “peace of mind”, which led her to create objects that aim to provide a small sense of comfort for people.
Her major exhibitions include solo exhibition “Sanctuary” (atelier & gallery creava, 2023), “Ceramic Synergy” (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art), “Human Bonds” (AIFA), and “The 10th Kikuchi Biennial Exhibition” (Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum).
After spending several years overseas, in countries such as Indonesia and Portugal where both religion and family play a crucial role in society, I realized that these two fundamentals are sources of peace of mind for the local people. Then I started to wonder what can bring peace of mind to myself, or us living in modern society. As I spent some time back in Japan, I found that still a living belief in spirits in the spirits floating everywhere, especially in nature, since ancient times.
Using clay, I create forms that allow the spirits to flow in and out of them, as “containers for the soul” with unique textures that take advantage of its softness. Inspiration comes from my daily contact with surrounding nature like the sea and mountains. I imagine invisible beings there and also reflect my own personal prayers or emotions as a human living in the present age, so that building artwork is like chanting sutras for me. I see my creation as the birth of a new friend, or even an amulet that would bring peace of mind to the audiences. When the piece is once fired, it would live much longer than us, and pass this information to the future.
Additionally, I believe in the power of non-verbal communication since I often struggled interacting with others during my time overseas. The message is stronger when conveyed by eye contact or facial expression; it simply carries a more powerful significance. Even people who do not understand the language, like small children or foreigners, will be able to get their own impression just by looking at the face of my artworks and eventually feel the spirit from it.