AKIKO YANAGAWA

Akiko Yanagawa is a ceramic artist based in Kamakura whose work explores the relationship between intention and natural forces. After shaping each piece by hand or with moulds, she submerges the forms in water, allowing movement, weight and chance to alter their surfaces and contours. Through this process, Yanagawa creates works that carry traces of erosion, shifting landscapes and the passage of time.

Rather than imposing complete control over the material, she embraces unpredictability as part of the making process. Using techniques such as tatara slab construction alongside layered glaze and water-based interventions, her ceramics develop richly textured surfaces and fluid forms that feel shaped through gradual transformation. Her work invites viewers to imagine the forces that leave their marks upon objects over time.

Born in Tokyo in 1987, Yanagawa graduated from Meiji University before completing her studies at the Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center in 2017. Following earlier work as a designer for a tile manufacturer, she established her independent practice in 2022.