Yoshinobu Suzuki

Born in 1981 in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture (son of Norifumi; grandson of Seisei)

2011 – Completed studies at Aichi Prefectural Institute of Ceramic Technology
           Studied under the 7th generation Kato Kobei and Ryotaro Kato

2015 – Became independent in Seto City

2016 – Held first solo exhibition at Matsuzakaya Nagoya

2017 onward – Solo exhibitions at Nagoya Sakae Mitsukoshi (2018, 2020, 2022),
                       Ginza Kuroda Touen (2020, 2022), and others

2022 – Relocated his kiln to Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

2023 – Solo exhibition at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store

2024 – Solo exhibitions at Nagoya Sakae Mitsukoshi and Sapporo Mitsukoshi

Participated in numerous other solo and group exhibitions

 

Born into a family of potters in Seto, a town renowned for its ceramics, Yoshinobu Suzuki has been familiar with clay since childhood. However, it wasn’t until the age of 28—after working as a company employee—that he chose to pursue the path of pottery. He trained in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, and began his ceramic work in Seto, though he has always aspired to create works unconstrained by tradition.

His pieces primarily feature glazes rich in glass content (known as glass glazes), which are transparent and prone to flowing in the kiln. He makes use of these flowing effects to create expressive and dynamic surfaces in his work.

In 2022, he relocated his kiln to Ōtsu City in Shiga Prefecture, where he continues his creative practice in a new environment.

Seto City in Aichi Prefecture, where he was born and raised, is a globally rare ceramic-producing region with a history of unbroken pottery production spanning approximately 1,000 years.

In fact, the Japanese word “Setomono”, which generally refers to ceramics, originates from Seto ware, which has long led the development of pottery in Japan.

It is said that “there is nothing that cannot be made in Seto,” reflecting the area's remarkable diversity in ceramic production.