Hijiri TOGANE

Born in Tokyo. Graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2012.
Hijiri Togane works across a wide range of media—from life-size ceramic human sculptures to functional vessels and abstract forms—and actively presents her work both in Japan and internationally. 

She was featured on NHK WORLD NEWS (2022) in a segment titled “Modern Artist Makes Minoyaki for the 21st Century”, and was selected for VOGUE JAPAN’s “Tradition and Innovation” feature (January 2023 issue) as well as the VOGUE JAPAN × Dior feature “Artists Carrying Japanese Savoir-Faire Into the Future” (October 2025 issue).

Togane’s work explores themes such as “the passage of time,” “the inheritance of traditional techniques,” and “the ambiguity of human existence.” In her signature life-size ceramic human sculptures, she attempts to inscribe traces of life and spirituality into clay, giving them a form that endures.

Her vessel series reinterpreting the Mino ware technique gabai-komi examines the boundary between “objects for use” and “sculptures to be viewed.” In recent years, she has developed the Mononoke Soul series, in which the fusion of artificial and natural elements expresses the contradictions, ambiguities, and shifting relationship between humans and nature.

She states: “I believe that the true potential of expression lies in the spaces between dualities—tradition and innovation, spirit and matter, craft and art.”

While studying at the Academy of Art University, she created public art for the San Francisco Zoo (2010). After graduating, she participated in group exhibitions in San Francisco before returning to Japan. Drawn to Mino ware, she set up her studio in Toki City, Gifu—the heart of the tradition—and began her artistic practice there.

She has held numerous solo exhibitions both in Japan and overseas, including “REALIZATION” (2019, Seibu Shibuya / Tokyo), “Endless Waltz” (2023, Shenzhen / China), and “Nice to Meet You, This Is Togane Hijiri.” (2024, Kyoto Tsutaya Books / Kyoto). She is currently based in Tokyo.

Awards

•    2010 — 1st place, Ceramic Division, Spring Show (San Francisco)
•    2012 — Best of Show, Oakwilde Ranch’s 5th Annual Spring Sculpture Show (California)