About Ichino Masahiko (b.1961-)

Born in 1961 in Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, Ichino Masahiko is a renowned Japanese ceramic artist celebrated for his innovative approach to Tamba pottery, an 800-year-old ceramic tradition produced to the west of Nagoya. In 1981, he began formal training under his father and established his own studio in 1988.
Ichino’s work quickly gained recognition, receiving the Best Work Award at the 13th Japanese Ceramic Art Exhibition in 1995. His reputation continued to grow internationally, with appearances in prestigious exhibitions such as Japanese Crafts “Now” 100 Selections Exhibition in Paris and across Japan in 1999.
During the 2000s, Ichino took part in numerous major global exhibitions, including Tea Ceremony – Contemporary Art Exhibition at the Helsinki Art Museum (2000), International Ceramic Exchange Exhibition in Beijing (2000), and Asian International Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition in Taiwan (2002). He also exhibited in Korea at the Contemporary Korean–Japanese Ceramic Art Exhibition in Seoul (2003).
Among his other notable honours, Ichino received the Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition (Tanabe Museum of Art, 2009), and participated in influential shows such as Contemporary Tea: Freedom of Form (Museum of Tomo, 2010) and Perspectives on Contemporary Crafts at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (2010). In 2011, he was awarded the Hyogo Prefectural Cultural Prize in recognition of his enduring contribution to the arts.