Yasuhisa Kohyama

YASUHISA KOHYAMA (b. 1936)

The traditional wood-firing techniques of historical potters from his native Shigaraki, are evident in the work of Yasuhisa Kohyama. He has played an important part in reviving the use of the traditional Japanese "Anagama" wood fired kiln, being the first potter in the area to build such a kiln since medieval times.

Kohyama's powerful and sculptural work has been exhibited widely in Japan and overseas including at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Musée National de Ceramique Sèvres, France.

Above: Yasuhisa Kohyama, arranging ikebana at Galerie Besson

Curriculum Vitae

Education and professional experience
1936 1955 1968 1969 1976 1977 1992 1993 1996 1997 1999		Born in Shigaraki Studied with the ceramic designer Sakuzo Hineno Graduated from the Industrial Experiment Center, Shigaraki Director of Design, Ohmi Kagaku Toki, Nihon Toshoku Established first studio, Zunkoe-kama Became a member of the Japan Craft Design Association Revived use of the traditional Japanese "Anagama" natural firing kiln in order to reproduce Ko-shigaraki style pottery Established a second studio, Kasei-kama Studied Sueki, an old style of stoneware in Japan Established a third studio, Iori-kama Established the clay group Tsuchimon-no-kai Worked at the European Ceramic Work Center, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands Instructed at Cleveland Institute of Art and Kent University in Ohio, USA Worked at the Atelier du Cep in Aube, France Instructed at Huara Huara Studio and lectured at the National Museum in Santiago, Chile Instructed at Cleveland Institute of Art and Kent University, Ohio, USA

Solo exhibitions
1972 1973 1979 1980 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008		Sogo Art Gallery, Kobe Maruei Art Gallery, Nagoya Mitsukoshi Art Gallery, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka (also 1982, 1984, 1987, 1993 and 1996) Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo (also 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1997 and 2003) Takashimaya Art Gallery, Yokohama Matsuzakaya Art Gallery, Nagoya Gakuenmae Art Gallery, Nara Fukuda Kougei Gallery, Shiga Akaneya Gallery, Nara Takashimaya Art Gallery, Kyoto (also 1989, 1994, 1999, 2003 and 2008) Irodori Gallery, Kyoto Gallery Kita, Nara Tobien Gallery, Nara Masuiwaya Gallery, Osaka MODEM Gallery, Shizuoka Contemporary Ceramics and Textile Art from Japan, Kohyama & Tanaka, Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, Das Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany and The European Ceramic Work Centre, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands Galerie De Witte Voet, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contemporary Ceramics and Textile Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga Misawa Shiturai Gallery, Tokyo Gallery Miya, Tokyo Toraya Gallery, New York, USA Avante Gallery, Cleveland, USA Avante Gallery, Cleveland, USA Galerie De Witte Voet, Amsterdam, The Netherlands The Ceramic Art Gallery, Sydney, Australia Nihonbashi Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Nanba Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka Galerie Besson, London
Group exhibitions Kohyama has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Japan since 1957, including holding regular Kohyama Studio Shows all over the country. The following is a selection of his more recent international group exhibitions.
1992 1993 1998 2000 2002 2005 2006 2007		Influence Works, Cleveland Museum, USA Contemporary Japanese Ceramic, Everson Museum, USA Benno Collection, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contemporary Ceramic, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Japan and The Netherlands 400 Anniversary, Galerie De Witte Voet, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Ceramics, Lew Allen Contemporary, USA Ceramic Modernism, The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic of Art, Toronto, Canada Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA Japanese Crafts, Galerie Besson, London Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century, Japan Society, New York, USA Toji, Musée National de Ceramique Sèvres, France Classic and Contemporary Ceramics, Galerie Besson, London

Awards
1958 1959 1970 1978 1982 1983	Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, Asahi Press Award Japan Ceramic Design Competition Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition Japan Ceramic of Sado and Kado Exhibition, Yomiuri Press Award The Traditional Craft Exhibition Shigaraki Ceramic Art Exhibition The New Ceramic Exhibition The Japan Exhibition The New Ceramic Exhibition

Public Collections
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, USA Everson Museum of Art, New York, USA Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands European Ceramic Work Center, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, USA Kent University, Ohio, USA The Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent St. Louis Museum, Missouri, USA Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto, Canada The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Shiga, Japan Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, USA

Exhibitions at Galerie Besson

Yasuhisa Kohyama	Mar - Apr 2008
Japanese Crafts	Sep 2006

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