Born in 1961, Tokuda Yasokichi IV succeeded her father, Tokuda Yasokichi III, a revered Kutani potter and a “Living National Treasure” artist. Tokuda inherited the techniques of their family style of Kutani porcelain production, that features saiyu glazing. Tokuda’s personal sensibility as a female artist lends her a unique perspective on the tradition that is reflected in her choices of color and interpretations of form. Tokuda is one of few female heads of a traditional potting lineage in Japan, due to those succeeding the family are most often male. However, her father decided to pass on the family’s name and practice to her. It was a challenge to make a place for herself as head artist of the family tradition in a still male-dominated social structure, but Tokuda succeeded in defining her own signature style and creative voice.
Selected Public Collections
British Museum | London
Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art | Kanazawa, Japan
Portland Art Museum | Oregon
Indianapolis Museum of Art | Indiana, US
Art Complex Museum | Massachusetts, US
Auckland Museum | New Zealand
Kyushu Ceramic Museum | Arita, Japan
National Museum of Modern Art | Tokyo
Museum of Ceramic Art | Hyogo, Japan