Maeta Akhiro is a highly influential artist and considered the leading white porcelain ceramicist of his generation. Maeta does not actually form his pieces on a potter’s wheel, but rather, uses the wheel only for the initial throw of his works. He forms the faceted designs in much of his pottery by hand, through free-form sculpting and molding with just fingers and palms. Then, in what is a contemplative process for Maeta, prior to the glazing process, he uses a single blade to trim and erase any traces or marks of his hand. Finally, the works are fired in a relatively low temperature gas kiln. The resulting white porcelain sculptures are elegant tributes to simple beauty without excess. His works are unlike any other contemporary Japanese porcelain: pure, serene, and seemingly perfect. In 2007, he received the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Emperor of Japan.
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Selected Public Collections
Philadelphia Museum of Art | Pennsylvania, US
The National Museum of Modern Art | Tokyo, Japan
The Museum of Ceramic Art | Hyogo, Japan
Agency of Cultural Affairs of Japan
Imperial Household Agency of Japan
The Museum of the Imperial Collection | Japan
Tottori Prefectural Museum | Japan
Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum | Japan
Ibaraki Prefectual Ceramic Museum | Japan
Gifu Prefectural Contemporary Ceramic Museum | Japan
MOA Museum | Shizuoka, Japan
Higashi-Hiroshima City Museum | Hiroshima, Japan
The Tanabe Museum of Art | Shimane, Japan
Sano Toseki Art Museum | Tokyo, Japan
Osaka Universisty of Arts | Japan
Yakushiji Temple | Nara, Japan
Everson Museum of Art | New York, US
Musee Ariana | Geneva, Switzerland
Art Gallery of New South Wales | Australia
Icheon World Ceramic Center | Korea
Oakland Museum of California | US
The British Museum | London, UK
Indianapolis Museum of Art | US
Sengukan Museum | Mie, Japan
Jingu Museum | Mie, Japan
Gitter Yelen Foundation | Lousiana, US