Toshihiko Tuzi

1965 Born in Saga prefecture

1986 Graduated from the Department of Interior Design, Kyushu Zokei Junior College

1987 Studied in the Department of Industrial Design at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA

1989 Returned to Japan and apprenticed under Manji Inoue, a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property

1991 Started pottery-making under the guidance of his father, Takehiko Tsuji

 

He is a ceramic artist and the third-generation owner of Sohyoh Kiln in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture.

He mainly creates ceramic plate works that depict the scenery and landscapes he encountered during his travels on traditional white Arita porcelain.

Using the “senkoku technique,” he engraves lines on the ceramic plates to create a sense of depth and dimension in the image. Despite the frequent risk of plates breaking during production, he dedicates himself to expressing his inner visions through these works.

Unlike photographs, once a ceramic plate is completed, it becomes a porcelain painting that never fades.

 

Arita Town, Saga Prefecture: The birthplace of Japanese porcelain

In the early 17th century, high-quality pottery stones, the raw material for porcelain, were discovered in Izumiyama, Saga Prefecture, marking the beginning of Japan’s first production of white ceramics.

For over 400 years, the tradition of pottery-making has continued unbroken.

 


 

1995 First selection in the Nitten Exhibition

2004 Exhibited at the Arita Ceramic Art Association Exhibition in Berlin, Germany

2010 Awarded the Grand Prize at the Contemporary Craft Art Kyushu Exhibition

2017 Appointed as a judge for the Japan Contemporary Craft Art Exhibition

2021 Invited to exhibit at the Saga Bank Cultural Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Newcomer Award Winners Exhibition