Toshifumi Tashiro

Toshifumi Tashiro, born in 1979 in Miyazaki, has been a "mashiko potter" since 2002. He studied at the Nara College of Art from 1998 to 2002, graduating with a major in ceramics. In 2002, Tashiro studied with Seiichi Imanari in Mashiko, and since 2007 he has been working as an independent ceramist in Okodo, Mashiko.

Toshifumi Tashiro turns his ceramics on the wheel, driven by hand. The clay comes from the famous Mashiko earth. Although pottery was made in the region many thousands of years ago, the success of today's Mashiko ceramics is based on the discovery in 1853 that the locally mined Mashiko clay is ideal for making pottery.Tashiro mixes different types of this clay to achieve the texture and fire resistance he is looking for in his ceramics. The nature of the clay limits the use of glazes, and some pieces undergo two main firings. The special shapes of his vessels radiate harmony and warmth.

Toshifumi Tashiro writes: "The vessels I make are basically simple in form. Therefore, I try to find ways to express their richness and make them unique."

We believe he has succeeded.