Born in 1961 in Tamba-Sasayama, Hyōgo Prefecture, Ichino is one of the leading contemporary voices in contemporary Tamba ceramics. He grew up in a family of potters in the region of Tamba ware, one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns. After studying ceramics in Hiroshima, he returned to his native Tamba, where he trained under his father, the potter Ichino Shinshui, as well as the celebrated contemporary ceramic artist Imai Masayuki. He established his own kiln in 1988.

Ichino first came to national attention in 1995, when his shell-like vessel Kai received the Grand Prix at the 13th Japan Ceramics Exhibition, making him the youngest artist at the time to receive the award. Since then, his work has been celebrated in Japan and abroad for its originality, technical strength and sense of form.

Much of his present work revisits the textural, technical and sculptural concerns seen in Ichino’s early practice, now with the maturity and confidence of three decades of artistic development.

While deeply rooted in the landscape of Tamba, one of Japan's six ancient kilns, Ichino has a rare ability to combine the warmth of traditional ware with a bold contemporary sensibility. Whether working with traditional materials such as aka-dobe, a red slip associated with Tamba pottery, or developing highly original forms and subtle surface patterns, he creates ceramics of expansive simplicity and presence.

Artist CV

1961 Born in Sasayama City, Hyogo, Japan

1981 Studied under Masayuki Imai and his father, Shinsui

1988 Became independent and established Taiga Kiln

1995 The 13th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition, Best Work Award, Chichibunomiya's Cup

1999 The Japan Foundation's Exhibition of Japanese Ceramics, Traveled to South America

The 100th Exhibition of Japanese Crafts Today, sponsored by NHK, toured Paris and

Japan

2000 Chanoyu - Contemporary Art Exhibition (Helsinki City Art Museum, Finland)

International Ceramic Art Exchange Exhibition (China Art Museum, Beijing, China)

2002 Asian International Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Yingge Ceramics Museum,

Taipei, Taiwan

2003 Korea-Japan Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition, Kumho Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea

2004 COLLECT ('04 '08 Victoria and Albert Museum, '09 '10 Saatchi Gallery, UK)

Contemporary Ceramics from Sanyo and San'in Roads V, Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art, Hiroshima, Japan

2006 The Ceramic Society of Japan Award

2007 Invitation to Contemporary Ceramics, The Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo, Japan

2008 Contemporary Ceramic Art - Life & Art - Colored by Pottery, Higashihiroshima City

Museum of Art, Hiroshima, Japan

2001 Grand Prize, Tabe Art Museum Grand Prize Exhibition of Tea Ceremony

2010 Contemporary Tea: Freedom of Form ,Tomo Art Museum

Perspectives on Contemporary KOGEI ,The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

2011 Hyogo Prefecture Culture Award

Awards

The Grand prix in the Japan Ceramic exhibition (1995)

The excellent prize in the the Tea Bowl Zokei Exhibition (1998)

The Grand prix in the Tea Bowl Zokei Exhibition (2009)

The Hyogo prefectural Culture prize (2011)

and many more

Selected exhibitions

The Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, The Tea Bowl Zokei Exhibition and other exhibitions

Public Collections

JAPAN FOUNDATION

Brooklyn Museum

New Orleans Museum of Art

Victoria & Albert Museum

The Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo

Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art

The Tanabe Museum of Art