Growing up with a ceramicist father in Japan, I spent much of my childhood in my father's ceramic studio. My father, Sansei Suzuki, is a celadon ceramicist in Odawara, Japan. I had been initially trained in wheel-throwing by him in the late 90s but it was only after some years of an on and off relationship with pottery that I started working on a full-time basis, creating my own style of pottery. Settling on PEI and setting up my own studio allowed me to be able to dedicate my time exclusively to Neriage pottery, which I started producing in small quantities for retail shows and sales in 2012. Over the years, I continually refined the techniques that I had discovered and developed, and occasionally consulted my father for his critique and review of my completed works. Recently, my Neriage works have been selected to be included in juried exhibitions in Japan.

My inspiration was originally drawn from what I considered rather dynamic works of some contemporary Neriage ceramics, particularly by the works of the designated living national treasure Kosei Matsui. His use of lines and gradated bands resonated with my interest in 2D illusion art and I explored ways to bring them together. Along the way, I started assembling layers of gradated coloured clays with the same or different clay bodies, from which I would throw a piece on the wheel. This would result in work with tonal gradated bands expressing advancing/receding visual effects. Most often, I achieved this by mixing dark coloured stoneware clay with white clay. I also noticed that the illusory effect created with tonal gradated bands from dark to white was also responsible for the appearance of texture without carving or fluting; layered gradated bands manifest illusory grooves or ridges, depending on the viewers’ perception. I usually work in monochromatic colour combinations and occasionally incorporate more vivid colours to best show the use of coloured gradated bands and lines.
Of all the processes involved in creating Neriage pieces, sanding greenware is where I wish I could hand off the job to someone else.
My fascination with Neriage has always been the creation of illusory effects of tonal gradation on functional pottery surfaces.

CV
JURIED EXHIBITIONS / CERAMIC COMPETITIONS
Kasama Ceramic Awards Exhibition 2021 (honourable mention/selected), Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Ibaraki, Japan. 2021. 10
The 8th TOBITEN Ceramic Art Exhibition, TOBI, the Ceramic Art Society of Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 2021. 01
The 24th Mino Teabowl Exhibition, Mino Ceramic Art Association, Gifu, Japan, 2020. 04
The 13th Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition, Toki City Cultural Promotion Foundation, Gifu, Japan, 2020. 03
Shimpo Teabowl Show (first place), NCECA, Portland, Oregon, 2017
RETAIL / GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Online version, 2022. 07
Unified Earth, Ice House Gallery, Tatamagouche, NS. 2021. 10
Unprecedented - Joint Ceramics Exhibition on the Art of Neriage III, Touch Ceramics, Hong Kong. 2021. 07
Creative Obsessions, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, PEI, 2020. 08
Revolution, Craft Nova Scotia, Mary E. Black Gallery, Halifax, NS, 2018. 09
Oh Canada, Craft Nova Scotia, Mary E. Black Gallery, Halifax, NS, 2017. 09
COLLECTIONS
Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, PEI
EDUCATION
Diploma - Graphic Design Holland College, Charlottetown, PEI