Takemura Yuri

Born 1980, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Growing up with a father working in graphic design, TAKEMURA YURI has always been drawn to art. Watching him work throughout her childhood, she was inspired to study oil painting in high school with the dream of becoming an artist herself. With painting, Takemura felt restricted by her canvas. Serendipitously at a ceramics competition in Tajimi, she encountered the artistic freedom she desired: a three-dimensional surface to apply her painted designs. Takemura likens her artistic process to that of playing music: the curves and undulations present in her vessels are her own personal soundtrack, enabling the viewer to share in the “notes” that she “plays.” Despite the fact that Takemura focuses primarily on teabowls, the playfulness and creativity of her designs position each work beyond the realm of its obvious functionality. Her color harmonies, soft slip-glazed surfaces, and glossy metallic sections on rhythmic forms combine to create a sensuous, irresistible vessel. Despite her relative youth, she has received an impressive array of awards and accolades.