09/25/2026
In Hiroshima, ceramic artist Yoshio Kangawa works in a studio shaped by clay, fire, time, and years of practice.
His work moves freely between refined white porcelain and expressive wood-fired pieces, each revealing a different side of his practice.
What stands out is the sensibility behind that freedom. Kangawa values not only the finished object, but the process of giving form to an idea or feeling. He continues to explore new ways of translating what he sees and feels into form, never confined to a single style.
Kangawa's large wood-fired kiln is fired only about once a year.
During the long firing, ash from the burning wood drifts through the kiln and settles on the vessels. At high temperatures, it melts into glaze, sometimes remaining in place, sometimes flowing, leaving behind unexpected colors, textures, and traces.
The form begins with the hand, but once the kiln is lit, clay, fire, ash, and time begin to shape the outcome. When these elements come together to create something unexpectedly beautiful, one can only imagine the joy of opening the kiln.
Kangawa also works with clay sourced near his home, using local earth with a sense of gratitude for the land itself.
To work with the soil around you, to leave part of the process to fire and chance, and still continue pursuing what you find beautiful. There is both freedom and strength in that approach.
Each wood-fired piece carries its own landscape: the movement of the glaze, the traces of ash, the depth of color. No two are ever alike.
A selection of Yoshio Kangawa’s works, including both white porcelain and wood-fired pieces, is now available on our website.
