We are pleased to announce that as of May, 2019, Miwa Kazuhiko (b. 1951) has assumed the family title of Miwa Kyūsetsu XIII after his brother, Miwa Kyūsetsu XII (Ryōsaku)'s retirement. Miwa Kyūsetsu XII will continue creative activity but under the name Ryūkishō. This transfer marks the continuation of the ceramic lineage of the Miwa family which has, for four centuries, been the most celebrated family working in the Hagi tradition.
Despite this lofty artistic hertiage, Kyūsetsu XIII has striven to chart an independent path. As a teenager he was drawn to the work of clay master, Peter Voulkos and so went to study at the San Francisco Art Institute for five years. His time in the US afforded him great artistic freedom. Since his return to Hagi, he has continued to present his clay art in challenging, thought-provoking ways.