Takeryo Kawaguchi
Saga, Japan

Japanese ceramic artist Takeryo Kawaguchi was born in 1974 in the renowned ceramic town of Arita-cho, Saga Prefecture where he still lives and works in his workshop with a Japanese garden in the front. Using mostly red clay that he finds from local land, each of his works is glazed and wood-fired, which leaves distinctive marks where the ash has settled. He uses wheel-thrown techniques as well as forming works by hand, and utilizes both gas and kerosene kilns to intentionally create different effects. His specialty revolves around patterns, which he etches into the surface of the pot. These masterful techniques imbue each piece with a character that deepens with time.