Shiro Tsujimura

This monograph on the life and work of iconoclastic Japanese artist Shiro Tsujimura demonstrates how, in his signature self-taught manner, he has reinvented the classic ceramic art form.

Shiro Tsujimura is a vanguard contemporary ceramic artist. While his creations and techniques are deeply rooted in traditional Japanese and Korean styles, his independent streak defines his practice with a sense of freedom, playfulness, and self-confidence that results in decidedly unique works. This monograph takes readers inside his studio and home to discover his artistic practice and lifestyle. Axel Vervoordt, Alexandra Munroe, and longtime friend Hiroshi Sugimoto each contribute a highly personal essay, providing rare insight into this magnetic artist. Tsujimura himself shares his approach to ceramics, deeply linked to both his training as a monk and his fierce independence, which drove him from his spiritual practice to become an artist. Each of his creations is pure and soulful, where the passing of time and the art of imperfection play an important role. 

Tsujimura has held solo exhibitions around the world, and his works have been acquired from Japan to Berlin to New York by the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Met and the British Museum.

Shiro Tsujimura is a renowned Japanese artist and potter whose work has been featured in solo exhibitions around the world since 1977 and is included in the permanent collection of the most important museums in the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Freer Gallery in Chicago, Museum of East Asian Art in Berlin, Miho Museum in Koka, and Stockholm Museum of Art. Alexandra Munroe is curator of Asian art at the Guggenheim in New York. Axel Vervoordt is renowned as a collector, antiquarian, designer, curator, and founder of his eponymous company. Michael James Gardner contributed to many books including Axel Vervoordt: Portraits of Interiors (2019), Axel Vervoordt: Stories and Reflections (2018), and Axel Vervoordt: Living with Light (2013). Shigeyoshi Suzuki is an editor specialized in Japanese art and crafts.