Studio Visit - Yuji Ueda

Currently I’m @_designani in Japan for a two-month ceramic residency at @air_sccp - We had the rare opportunity to visit @yuji____ueda’s studio in Shigaraki. He kindly welcomed us into the space he shares with his wife, artist @yuisuzukey . It was a quiet and focused environment, filled with raw materials, works in progress, and traces of their daily practice. A meaningful glimpse into how they live and work with clay.

Yuji Ueda is a Shigaraki-based Japanese ceramic artist represented by Blum gallery. His work is characterised by dynamic, scarred, and ruptured ceramic vessels that challenge traditional notions of the medium. Ueda's art often features clay from his hometown, Shigaraki, a historic pottery region, and incorporates a vibrant kinetic energy, with pieces that appear to be in the midst of formation. 

Photographs by @_designani - post via instagram @nani.visit

Yuji Ueda

(b. Japan, Shigaraki, Japan)

Yuji Ueda was born in Shiga Prefecture, Japan in 1975, to a family of tea growers in Shigaraki, a region known for its pottery and Japanese tea. He currently lives and works there. Through his experimentation with firing techniques, Ueda has created a unique process in which he employs whole blocks of Choseki feldspar or builds up irregular clay surfaces that can be fired in anagama kilns. Since 2019, Ueda has started creating paintings as well.

Photographed by Nani P - post via instagram @nani.visit