Tsuji Kyo (1930–2008) was among the few pioneers who established a distinguished career in Japan’s traditionally male-dominated demanding field of ceramics at its time. She graduated in 1952 from the Women’s College of Fine Arts, majoring in Western painting. At the time, educational opportunities for women in Japan were largely limited to music, literature, and Western-style art, and social conventions for women remained highly restrictive.

By 1961, Tsuji’s ceramic works were exhibited at one of Japan’s most prestigious venues, the Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi department store. Despite facing social and institutional barriers, she became recognized as a master potter. Due to gender bias within the ceramics world, she changed her professional name from Kyoko to Kyo so that her gender would not be apparent in competitions.

Tsuji Kyo was also a mother of four—two sons and two daughters. In 1996, I had the honor of welcoming her at JFK Airport and hosting her solo exhibition at Dai Ichi Arts. Nineteen years later, I met her daughter, Tsuji Kei, an accomplished artist herself, at Tsuji Kyo’s former home. In that moment, I felt as though I could hear her mother’s voice again. To me, Tsuji Kyo-sensei was like a grandmother: warm, supportive, and generous in spirit. Throughout her life, she gave voice to many who had none.

Kyo’s works are primarily crafted from coarse Shigaraki clay and wood-fired outside metropolitan Tokyo. Her creations are functional, made for daily use, and imbued with a wholesome beauty that celebrates everyday life.