Akihiro Maeta

1954 -
  • Ceramics(Living National Treasure)
  • Price Range $3,000 - 22,000
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  • Awards at Japan Kōgei Assoc. Exhibitions : 4

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    • Designation
      Living National Treasure (Important Intangible Cultural Property for White porcelain)
    • Category
      Ceramics
    • Techniques
      Pale blue porcelain, White porcelain
    • Born
      1954 -
    • Based in
      Tottori
    • Membership
      Full member, Japan Kogei Association
      Director of Japan Kogei Association
      Chairman of Japan Kogei Association Ceramics Department
      Visiting Professor at Osaka University of Arts
      Visiting Professor at Kanazawa College of Art
    Akihiro Maeta

    About the Artist

    A feeling of softness and tension both exist in his artwork

    Akihiro Maeta, designated as Living National Treasure for white porcelain, makes his artwork based on traditional methods of ceramics, but seeks for unique forms. He always works on his pieces as if he is challenging the clay, and puts what he feels from the plain white clay into shape using the potter's wheel. His artwork that stands with a dignified look, yet at the same time has a feeling of softness, is created in this way. His artwork that expresses exactly what he feels, is highly evaluated, and is held by many art museums within Japan and abroad.

    Biography

    • 1954
      Born in Kawahara Town, Yazu County, Tottori Prefecture
    • 1977
      Graduated from Osaka University of Arts, Crafts Department, Ceramic Course
    • 1979
      Selected for 5th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (selected on a consecutive basis from this year onward)
    • 1983
      Selected for the 30th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (selected 23 times from this year onward)
    • 1985
      Solo exhibition at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi main store (7 solos exhibition held from this year onward)
    • 1991
      Selected for the Fletcher Challenge International Ceramics Exhibition
    • 1992
      Invited to submit to Sanyo and Sanin District Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition II:Tradition and Avant-Garde, Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art
    • 1996
      Invited to submit to Sanyo and Sanin District Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition III:Tradition and Avant-Garde, Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art
      Invited to submit to Special Exhibition "Rin" The Beauty of Contemporary Ceramics, Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Shiga Prefecture
      Invited to submit to Special Exhibition "New Expression in Porcelain:Developments in the 1990s," the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
    • 1998
      Selected for the 5th International Contemporary Porcelain Triennial, Switzerland
    • 1999
      Invited to submit to 100 Selections of Contemporary Japanese Craft Exhibition at Mitsukoshi Etoile Museum, Paris
      Invited to submit to Sanyo and Sanin District Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition IV:Tradition and Avant-Garde, Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art
    • 2000
      Invited to submit to "Exploring Porcelain Exhibition 2000” at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi
    • 2001
      Invited to submit to "Eternal White" Exhibition The Japan Cultural Institute in Rome, Italy [sponsored by The Japan Foundation]
      Maeta Akihiro & Isezaki Jun Two Potters Exhibition in New York
    • 2002
      Invited to submit to the International Asia-Pacific Contemporary Ceramics Invitational Exhibition at New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan
      Invited to submit to Contemporary Japanese Crafts:Materials and Way of Formative Thinking Exhibition, Petronas Gallery, Malaysia [sponsored by Japan Foundation]; National Gallery, Indonesia [sponsored by The Japan Foundation]
      Invited to submit to the Legacy of Modern Ceramic Art, the Evolutions of Japanese Ceramic Art, Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu Prefecture
      Maeta Akihiro ―White Porcelain Genealogy― at Gallery Kochukyo, Nihombashi, Tokyo
    • 2003
      Invited to submit to Contemporary Master Ceramists of Western Japan, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
      Invited to submit to White Porcelain and Celadon, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
      Invited to submit to Japan Traditional Art Crafts 50th Anniversary Exhibition “Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan” at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi
    • 2006
      Invited to submit to the Quintessence of Modern Japanese Ceramics, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
      Asian Ceramic Delta―Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan
      Evaluator at the 53rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2007
      Invited to submit to Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan:Celebrating Fifty Years of the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, British Museum, UK
      Evaluator at the 54th JapanTraditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
      Invited to submit to The Crafts Gallery 30th Anniversary Exhibition II The Power of Crafts:Outlook for the 21st Century, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
    • 2008
      Submitted to Masuda Mitsuo and 24 Craftsmen Exhibition, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi
      Invited to submit to the Mitsukoshi Art Department 100th Anniversary:Nouvelles Ailes Art of Today Exhibition, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi
    • 2009
      Tobi Art Fair 2009:－An Ode to Light & Shadow－ Imaizumi Imaemon & Maeta Akihiro, Tokyo Art Club
      Special Exhibition “Maeta Akihiro Light and Shade of the White Porcelain,” Tottori Prefectural Museum
    • 2010
      Evaluator at the 57th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Invited to submit to 3rd Musee Tomo Prize Exhibition, Musee Tomo
      Invited to submit to Special Exhibition “About the Tea Ceremony - A Viewpoint on Contemporary Kôgei,” Crafts Gallery, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
      Maeta Akihiro & Kubota Atsuko Exhibition, Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art
    • 2011
      Submitted to Collect 2011, Saatchi Gallery, UK
      Evaluator at the 58th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2012
      Invited to submit to Vallauris Ceramics Biennale 2012, Picasso Museum, France
    • 2013
      Submitted to 8th Paramita Museum Ceramic Art Grand Prize Exhibition
      Evaluator at the 60th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Designated as Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property for white porcelain
      Invited to submit to "From Crafts to Kogei:In Commemoration of the 60th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition," Crafts Gallery, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
    • 2014
      Submitted to "The Present of Living National Treasures", Heiseikan, Tokyo National Museum
      Submitted to TEFAF Maastricht 2014, Netherlands
      Judge at the 10th International Ceramics Festival Mino
      Invited to submit to "Beauty of KOGEI: Art Crafts in Japan", Singapore
      Evaluator at the 61st Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2015
      Submitted to TEFAF Maastricht 2015, Netherlands
      Judge and evaluator at the 62nd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Submitted to "Treasures of the World from The British Museum", National Museum of Singapore
    • 2016
      Submitted to TEFAF Maastricht 2016, Netherlands
      The 1st "Creation of Kogei - Living National Treasures" Exhibition at Wako Hall, Ginza, Tokyo
      Judge and evaluator at the 63rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Invited to submit to "Kogei (Modern Crafts) and the Tea Ceremony II" at The National Museum of Modern Art ,Tokyo Crafts Museum
    • 2017
      Submitted to TEFAF Maastricht 2017, Netherlands
      The 2nd "Creation of Kogei - Living National Treasures" Exhibition at Wako Hall, Ginza, Tokyo
      Submitted to the Japan Kogei Association Chugoku Branch 60th Anniversary Exhibition
      Judge and evaluator at the 64th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2018
      Submitted to TEFAF Maastricht 2018, Netherlands
      Maeta Akihiro Hakuji Exhibition, Takashimaya, Osaka
      The 3rd "Creation of Kogei - Living National Treasures" Exhibition at Wako Hall, Ginza, Tokyo
      Judge and evaluator at the 65th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2019
      Submitted to TEFAF Maastricht 2019, Netherlands
      The 4th "Creation of Kogei - Living National Treasures" Exhibition at Wako Hall, Ginza, Tokyo
      Maeta Akihiro Hakuji Exhibition, Tenmaya Okayama Main Store
      Judge and evaluator at the 66th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2020
      Judge at the 67th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      "Kogei 2020 - The Art of Crafting Beauty from Nature", Tokyo National Museum
      Maeta Akihiro Hakuji Exhibition, Takashimaya, Osaka
      The Japan Ceramic Society Award, Gold Award Exhibition at Gallery Kochukyo, Nihombashi, Tokyo
    • 2021
      National Living Treasure Maeta Akihiro Special Hakuji Exhibition at MOA Museum of Art, Atami, Shizuoka
      The 6th "Creation of Kogei - Living National Treasures" Exhibition at Wako Hall, Ginza, Tokyo
      Judge at the 68th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Living National Treasure Maeta Akihiro Hakuji Exhibition, Ichibata Department Store, Matsue, Shimane

    Awards

    • 1983
      Received an Honorable Mention at the 38th Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 1984
      Received an Honorable Mention at the 39th Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 1985
      Received the Excellence Award at the 2nd Tanabe Museum of Art “Arts of the Tea Ceremony” Exhibition
      Received the Shinsho Incentive Award at the 40th Anniversary Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 1986
      Received the Affiliate Award at the 41st Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 1989
      Received the Tottori Governor Award at the 32nd Chūgoku Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 1991
      Received the Mainichi Shimbun Award at the 11th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition
      Received the Tottori Governor Award at the 34th Chūgoku Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 1992
      Received the Tottori Governor Award at the 35th Chūgoku Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 1993
      Received the Tomimoto Award at the 48th Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 1994
      Received the Kaneshige Toyo Award at the 37th Chūgoku Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 1997
      Received the Excellence Award at the 10th MOA Mokichi Okada Award Exhibition
    • 1998
      Received the 4th Energia Fine Arts Prize (from the Energia Culture and Sports Foundation)
    • 1999
      Received the Tottori City Cultural Award
    • 2000
      Received the Asahi Shimbun Award at the 47th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
      Received the Inagaki Award at the 55th Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 2003
      Received the Grand Award at the 20th Anniversary Tanabe Museum of Art “Arts of the Tea Ceremony” Exhibition (Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tanabe Museum of Art)
      Received the Bronze Award at the 2nd Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale (Icheon, South Korea)
      Received the 50th Anniversary Award at the 50th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
    • 2004
      Received the Japan Ceramic Society Award for the year 2003 (from the Japan Ceramic Society)
      Received the 61st Chugoku Bunka Award (from The Chugoku Shimbun)
    • 2005
      Received the 60th Anniversary Grand Prize at the 60th Anniversary Shinsho Kogei Exhibition
    • 2010
      Received the Tottori Cultural Achievement Award
    • 2012
      Received the Excellence Award at the Tanabe Museum of Art “Arts of the Tea Ceremony” Exhibition (Tanabe Museum of Art)
    • 2020
      Received the Japan Ceramic Society Award for the year 2019 (from the Japan Ceramic Society)

    Public Collections

    • Imperial Household Agency
    • Agency for Cultural Affairs
    • Japan Foundation
    • The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
    • Tottori Prefectural Museum
    • The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park
    • Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
    • Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu
    • MOA Museum of Art
    • Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art
    • Tanabe Museum of Art
    • Yakushiji Temple
    • Sano Toseki Art Museum
    • Osaka University of Arts
    • Everson Museum of Art (USA)
    • Musée Ariana (Switzerland)
    • Icheon World Ceramics Center (South Korea)
    • Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA)
    • Auckland Art Gallery (New Zeaand)
    • The British Museum (UK)
    • Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA)
    • Jingu Art Museum
    • Gitter-Yelen Foundation (USA)
    View All 18 Artworks byAkihiro Maeta

    Exhibition: Crafts and Kôgei Creations - Living National Treasures Exhibition Open in new window

    An exhibition exhibiting and selling artworks of 39 Living National Treasures (Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Property) in ceramics, textiles, lacquer art, metalwork and wood and bamboo work.

    Exhibition Period : Thu., Apr. 3 – Sun., Apr. 20, 2025
    Venue : Seiko House 6F, Seiko House Hall
    Hours : 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (closed at 5:00 pm on last day)

    Artists' Gallery Talk
    From 2:00 pm on the following dates
    Sat., Apr. 5 Ceramics　Iwao Shinno
    Sun., Apr. 6 Textiles　Nobuo Matsubara
    Sat., Apr. 12 Metalwork　Yukie Osumi
    Sun., Apr. 13 Lacquer Art　Kazumi Murose
    Sat., Apr. 19 Wood and Bamboo Work　Noboru Fujinuma
    Sun., Apr. 20 Wood and Bamboo Work　Kenji Suda

    * See official website for updated information