Imaemon Imaizumi
The 14th of the Imaemon Kiln, a national important intangible cultural property holding organization
1962 Born in Arita-cho, Saga Prefecture
1985 Graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Crafts and Industrial Design (metalwork major)
1990 Engaged in the family business in Arita
1996 Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
2002 Succeeded to the name of the 14th Imaemon Imaizumi
2014 Recognized as the holder (Living National Treasure) of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Iroe Porcelain"
2020 Nominated as Vice President of the Japan Crafts Association
Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Asset " Iroe Porcelain”.
He is the 14th head of the Imaizumi family, a prestigious family that has been producing Iroe porcelain in Arita for 400 years since the Edo period.
While continuing the tradition, he pursues a prestigious modern-day Iro-nabeshima style by focusing on the "sumi-hajiri" technique of removing white from the surface of the porcelain.
He applies underglaze outlines to smooth vessels, overlaps colors, and scatters designs and auspicious motifs.
He is a producer and designer who leads a group of experts in charge of each process, including rokuro molding, painting, kiln firing, and overglaze painting. He is one of Japan's leading ceramic artists, who has brought Nabeshima's aesthetic sense and craftsmanship to the present day.
Arita ware, a leading type of colored porcelain, is produced in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu.
Arita is the birthplace of porcelain in Japan. Unlike pottery, which is made of clay, porcelain, which is made of finely ground stone and fired at high temperatures, was born more than 400 years ago. High-quality ceramic stones were discovered in the mount Izumi, and white porcelain was successfully fired. Arita is a rare town where pottery continues to be produced in step with the times while preserving the atmosphere of those days.
The Imaemon family, as the official kiln of the Nabeshima Clan, has invested their skills generously and produced colored Nabeshima porcelain, a product of the clan's prestige.
1996 Governor's Prize, Saga Prefecture Art Exhibition
1998 Awarded the Chairman's Prize, Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Crafts, Japan Crafts Association.
2004 Awarded the Governor of Tokyo Prize at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
2009 Awarded Medal with Purple Ribbon
2014 Recognized as the holder (Living National Treasure) of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Iroe Porcelain"
2023 Awarded the Gold Prize of the Ceramic Society of Japan