Artist Biography
Isako Suzuki grew up surrounded by ceramics in her father’s studio in Japan. Suzuki was initially trained in wheel-throwing by him in the late 90s and after some years of an on and off relationship with pottery, she started working on a full-time basis, creating her own style of pottery which eventually led to the pursuit of Neriage pottery. She currently resides in Prince Edward Island working from her private studio and dedicating time exclusively to Neriage pottery.
Suzuki has a Diploma in Graphic Design Holland College, Charlottetown, PEI and a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics Carleton University & University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. She has exhibited at Kasama Ceramic Awards Exhibition 2021 (Japan), the 13th Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition 2020 (Japan), Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown 2020 (PEI, Canada) to name a few.
Exhibition Statement
In my practice as a potter I work with a technique called Neriage, a Japanese pottery technique which uses different colored clays and/or different clay bodies to construct a piece of pottery on the potter’s wheel.
The process in my work starts with blending white clay and stained clay to form each line, with the increments determined by specific stain percentages that serve as my reference, then bringing them together on the potter’s wheel to create the appearance of subtle tonal gradation from a distance. The resulting transition from dark shades to various tones and lighter colors in each band has always fascinated me, as it seems to defy a single definition and reflects a gradual process of regression and progression. Drawing from my Japanese heritage and Canadian experiences, I view the gradation bands as a reflection of my identity, illustrating how they blur boundaries and place me somewhere in between.
This technique enables me to create pottery with tonal gradated bands that convey depth and texture on smooth surfaces. I am also intrigued by how the spiraling tonal bands distort the symmetrically thrown shape into a visually asymmetrical form while focusing on balance and tension, movement and stillness, as well as dark to light effects within a simple vessel form.
It is my intention to elicit emotional responses in viewers through the interplay of shape, color, and the illusory effects of tonal gradation.
Acknowledgments
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