SAYURI IKAKE

BIOGRAPHY

SAYURI IKAKE was born on November 4th 1990 in Osaka, Japan.

Advised by her family and friends whom detected her artistic capabilities at an early stage, Sayuri applied for the prestigious Kobe Design and Art University cursus in 2009.

She picked the crafts option during her first year of the undergraduate program and started working with various materials such as glass, metal, clay, wood; each attached to specific and often ancient crafting techniques.

Sayuri rapidly developed a particular interest for the pottery course during which she learned several traditional Japanese techniques. She particularly enjoyed practicing the potter wheel, named Rokuro in Japan, for long hours day after day. She developed a strong interest

for the Rokuro’s diverse techniques and became passionate by the translation of mental conceptualization into concrete objects using such traditional and accomplished methods, perfected by a long lineage of craftsmen over the centuries.

Sayuri dedicated her next 3 years of University to the Ceramic program and ended her cursus with an additional post-grad year for which she chose “glaze techniques” as a research theme. She could then test mixed formulas of natural clay, water, organic material and glazes to develop and master her own technique overtime.

She participated in various ceramic competitions in Japan while being at University, encouraged by her professors and classmates.

After having attended the Penland School of Crafts summer course in North Carolina USA, she decided to settle at Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park. This park, located in the Kyoto area, is intended to support various activities around the theme of ceramics, including artistic creation, training, and exhibitions.

It is there that Sayuri began to explore new creation paths; “I wanted to make my work more remarkable so I started to work in 3 dimensions using rukoro techniques to separately create and then combine the different parts of one artwork”.

Sayuri explains her artistic approach as being a combination of ancient art representing nature as such and her willingness to create a shape for the shape itself. “The color is beautiful for its color”, says Sayuri when asked about it. The elaborated inclusion of pigments inside the clay magnifies its impact and Japanese paper is added to the clay mix, helping to stabilize and strengthen the material.

Movement is essential to Sayuri’s work, representing the breathing of the shape, its connection to reality. As essential as memory, emotion and human senses. “If you succeed in transferring those into art work, the purpose is met.”

Sayuri Ikake is passionate about artistic expression; her work is a meticulous combination of traditional gestures and innovative techniques that serves the purpose of expressing her belief in Eternity.