Shinichi Sawada

Shinichi Sawada is a Japanese ceramist known for his intricate and imaginative sculptures. Born in 1982 in Shiga Prefecture, he began his artistic journey in 2000 at the Nakayoshi Fukushikai Welfare Association. There, he divides his time between the ceramic studio and the institution’s bakery. 

Sawada's practice involves creating hand-built ceramic sculptures that often feature multiple faces, protruding horns, and intricate surface textures. He employs traditional Japanese wood-firing techniques, using a handmade kiln and allowing each piece to dry for at least six months before firing. The firing process, which lasts three days and nights, results in unique colourations due to the interaction of ash and clay. His works are unglazed, with colours ranging from red to brown to charcoal black, depending on their placement in the kiln. 

His work has featured in numerous exhibitions, including Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina (2024), and at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2024–2025). Additionally, his pieces have been showcased in major group shows such as The Encyclopaedic Palace at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013). His work is held in the permanent collections of institutions including the Collection de l’Art Brut (Lausanne), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Shiga Museum of Art (Otsu).