Hayashi Yasuo 林康夫 Japanese, b. 1928

We are delighted to spotlight a recent panel discussion and conversation on the history and aesthetics of of Avant-Garde Ceramics at the Osaka University of...

I've been thinking about publicity with Hayashi Yasuo's pieces: he deserves more recognition! Ms. Marilyn Swan has recently published her Master's thesis on his works....

Hayashi Yasuo 林康夫 (b. 1928) embodies the maxim "clay prolongs life," as he has been a practicing ceramic artist for over six decades. Today he even drives from Kyoto to Tokyo to attend his exhibitions! Age has never deterred this significant artist, who was one of founder of Shiko-kai 四耕会(1947), a precursor of the influential Japanese avant-garde ceramics group Sodei-sha 走泥社 (1948), when he was only 19 years old. The art critic KIMURA Shigenobu 木村重信(1925-2017) has identified Hayashi Yasuo's "Cloud" sculpture as the first totally non-functional ceramic work, which according to Kimura made Hayashi "the real forerunner in the field." This departure from traditional ceramic techniques freed future generations of Japanese ceramic artists...