Iwao Shinno is a master of celadon who represents contemporary Japanese ceramics and was designated a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Celadon” (Living National Treasure) in 2024. He has continuously pursued the expression of “blue” that combines transparency and depth, establishing a unique world through his original technique called “Tsuiji” (pile-up porcelain).
His works captivate many ceramic enthusiasts and art lovers with their presence that harbors the breath of life within stillness.
This article provides a detailed explanation of Iwao Shinno’s character, the characteristics of his techniques, and the artistry with which he redefined the tradition of celadon in contemporary terms.
Table of Contents
Who is Iwao Shinno ? An Innovator in Celadon Sculpture, a Master Craftsman Leading Contemporary Ceramics
Iwao Shinno is a contemporary ceramic artist who established a unique technique called “Tsuiji” (pile-up porcelain) centered on celadon. Born in 1957, he has reconstructed the traditional field of celadon with contemporary sensibility and pursued the fusion of glaze and form to its limits.
Inspired by ancient ceramics from the Song and Goryeo dynasties, he creates works that harmonize the depth of glaze color with the tension of form. In 2024, he was designated a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property “Celadon,” and his achievements were officially recognized.
Shinno’s works are known as “blue that harbors light,” containing transparency and stillness, establishing a unique worldview that makes viewers feel the breath of time and nature.
Biography and Activities: From Encountering Ceramics to Technical Innovation
While attending the Faculty of Business and Economics at Kinki University, Shinno joined a ceramics club by chance during a hitchhiking trip and became absorbed in the charm of ceramics. During his university years, he visited the “Ataka Collection Exhibition of Oriental Ceramics” at the Kyoto National Museum, where he was profoundly moved by Chinese Song dynasty and Korean Goryeo dynasty celadon and white porcelain, solidifying his determination to become a ceramic artist.
After graduating from university, he studied the fundamentals of ceramic glazes and celadon glazes at the Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute’s Ceramics Main Course and Advanced Course, and learned ceramic forming techniques at the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Vocational Training School. Subsequently, he apprenticed for five years at a Kiyomizu-yaki kiln (Zuiko Kiln), where he worked on porcelain restoration and repeatedly experimented to reproduce the unique “depth of glaze” characteristic of celadon.
Eventually, he developed the Tsuiji technique, using a brush to layer porcelain clay made into slip multiple times. Unlike conventional wheel throwing, this new sculptural expression creates subtle gradations of layers through repeated application and drying.
As a result, a texture emerged where light seems to linger inside, successfully giving celadon an organic sense of vitality. He gained high acclaim at domestic and international exhibitions, winning the Asahi Shimbun Prize at the 56th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 2009 and the Japan Craft Association President’s Prize at the 58th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 2011, becoming widely known as a figure who brought fresh winds to the celadon world.
Core Style and Technique: Pursuit of Clear Blue, Accumulated Glaze, and Form Beauty
Shinno’s works are characterized by the depth of layers within transparent celadon glaze. Through the Tsuiji technique, fine particles of porcelain clay overlap like brush strokes, creating complex shadows when receiving light.
During the firing process, he strictly controls temperature and oxidation-reduction, creating contrasts in blue shading and luster by capturing the moment when the glaze flows slightly. In terms of form, he gives slight distortions to geometric forms such as cylinders and ellipses, allowing viewers to feel the warmth of human hands within stillness.
The core of Shinno’s aesthetic lies in compositions that often emphasize negative space, with pieces that radiate sculptural presence while remaining vessels. Shinno’s celadon embodies not mere reproduction but “blue where material and time resonate.”
Major Awards and Exhibition Activities
Shinno is highly regarded domestically and internationally as a ceramic artist who brought innovation to Japanese celadon expression. Through repeated submissions to the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, he gained attention from the 1990s onward as a figure opening new frontiers in celadon.
He received the Japan Craft Association President’s Prize in 2009 and the Japan Craft Association Chairman’s Prize in 2011. Furthermore, following the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Commendation, he was designated a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) in 2024.
His exhibition activities are vigorous, with solo exhibitions at the National Museum of Modern Art, Crafts Gallery, regional art museums, and department store galleries. He continues to communicate “Japanese tranquility and the beauty of light” to the world through celadon.
Trajectory of the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and Award History
Shinno was first selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1994. Since then, his reputation grew along with the deepening of his celadon technique, and he was repeatedly selected during the 1990s when he established the Tsuiji technique.
At the 56th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 2009, he received the Asahi Shimbun Prize, with the high level of completion of his celadon work highly praised. His subsequent representative work, the “Celadon Tsuiji Linear Pattern Bowl” series, received acclaim for the transparency of glaze layers and the tension of form. After receiving the Japan Craft Association Chairman’s Prize at the 58th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 2011, Shinno established his position as the foremost figure in celadon expression.
These awards are not merely honors but also proof that his glaze research and sculptural philosophy have been institutionally recognized, symbolizing technological innovation in contemporary crafts. Furthermore, he received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2012 and the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2015, with his achievements widely recognized.
Evolution of Work Development Seen in Solo and Group Exhibitions
Shinno’s works have deepened their sculptural expression through the establishment of the Tsuiji technique. Since the 2000s, he has participated in numerous invited exhibitions at museums and galleries both in Japan and abroad, and his works continue to evolve.
At the Crafts Gallery of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, he was invited to exhibit in the 2013-2014 “From Kogei to KOGEI” exhibition, the 2014 “Celadon Now” exhibition, and the 2023 “Ceramics Connecting to the Future: The Power of Traditional Crafts” exhibition, presenting the deep blue of Tsuiji in the context of contemporary ceramics.
As for solo exhibitions, they are regularly held at Takashimaya stores (Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo Nihonbashi, JR Nagoya). In 2018, he held “Takashimaya Art Department 110th Anniversary Commemoration Iwao Shinno Ceramic Exhibition – Tsuiji” at Osaka Takashimaya, and in 2024, commemorating his designation as Living National Treasure, “Iwao Shinno Ceramic Exhibition: From Life to Prayer” toured Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo Nihonbashi, and JR Nagoya Takashimaya stores.
In these exhibitions, with the theme of “the origin of life,” he presented works inspired by women who give birth to life, water, seeds, and others, showing the evolution of clay, glaze, and sculptural expression. Shinno’s exhibitions also attract attention from an academic perspective examining the relationship between celadon’s “material” and “light.”
Evaluation at International Exhibitions and Overseas Collections
Shinno’s works are highly regarded not only in Japan but also overseas. In 2002, he was invited to exhibit in the “Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition” world tour organized by the Japan Foundation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his work was purchased. In 2003, he was invited to exhibit in the “Contemporary Korean-Japanese Ceramic Exhibition” at the Kumho Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, and in 2014, he was invited to exhibit in the “Beauty of Craft: Contemporary Japanese Crafts” exhibition (organized by the Japan Foundation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) held in Singapore.
In particular, the layered structure of celadon and the transparency of the glaze surface receive high international acclaim. With works collected at Meyer Garden in Michigan, USA, international recognition is growing year by year. At these overseas exhibitions, Shinno’s works are introduced as symbols of Japanese culture, attracting great interest for their sculptural beauty that balances tradition and innovation.
His activities conveying Japanese spirituality to the world through celadon can be said to fulfill part of a cultural mission that transcends mere artistic work. His works are also housed in many major museums in Japan, with permanent displays and special exhibitions held at museums across the country, including the Hyogo Ceramic Art Museum.
Material Research and Glaze Development
Shinno’s celadon is called “living blue” due to its unique glaze color and depth. Behind this lies scientific research on clay and glaze, and precise control of firing conditions.
Shinno regards material research as synonymous with the act of sculpting, having experimentally verified subtle changes in clay plasticity, glaze viscosity, and oxidation-reduction reactions over many years. He adjusts the iron oxide and titanium oxide content that affects celadon glaze color development at the micro level, intuitively understanding that color phase changes with temperature differences of just 10 degrees.
This accumulated research produces the depth and transparency unique to Shinno’s “Tsuiji celadon.”
Fusion of Clay and Glaze: Sculptural Philosophy Derived from Materials
For Shinno, celadon material research is not merely scientific exploration but the foundation of sculpture itself. He studied the fundamentals of ceramic glazes and celadon glaze research at the Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute, establishing his unique “Tsuiji” technique of making porcelain clay into slip and layering it many times with a brush.
Porcelain clay requires properties that are smooth yet maintain appropriate viscosity, and Shinno, while working on porcelain restoration at a Kiyomizu-yaki kiln during his apprenticeship, focused on the technique of layering slip with a brush. Through this technique, the accumulated layers acquired softness with organic expression.
Particularly noteworthy is that Tsuiji “does not remain merely surface decoration but is conscious of integration as sculpture,” and his unique production perspective treats glaze not as decoration but as part of sculptural expression. By formulating glaze for each work and creating differences in color through variations in iron content, he pursues fusion while contrasting opposing dual elements such as “light and shadow subtly brought out in the body” and “forms with tension and relaxation.”
Shinno has deeply pursued the relationship between porcelain clay and glaze, sublimating the potential power of materials into sculptural beauty.
Celadon Glaze Color Development Research: Oxidation-Reduction and Light Layer Structure
Celadon color development is produced by the phenomenon where iron in the glaze changes to blue-green through reduction firing. Specifically, it turns blue by making the kiln oxygen-deficient, increasing CO concentration, and firing with incomplete combustion flames. Shinno studied the fundamentals of ceramic glazes and celadon glazes at the Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute, repeatedly experimenting while researching kilns and firing temperatures.
Shinno formulates glaze for each work, changing color tone according to iron content. The color of celadon changes significantly depending on the iron content of the glaze and the thickness of the glaze layer. Shinno’s works are characterized by “transparent light blue-green,” pursuing unique celadon expression inspired by the blue of Lake Biwa and the blue of the sky.
While exploring “ukagetenseii” (the blue of the calm sky after rain has passed), the ultimate celadon color, he established unique sculptural expression combining the Tsuiji technique with celadon glaze. This allows him to balance the “tranquil blue” unique to celadon with dynamic sculptural beauty through three-dimensional linear patterns.
Tsuiji Technique and Material Innovation: Layer Accumulation by Brush and Visualization of Glaze Layers
Shinno’s representative technique, Tsuiji (pile-up porcelain), is a method of layering porcelain clay using a brush. Through this layering process, the boundary between clay body and glaze becomes ambiguous, and the material itself becomes the work’s expression.
By repeating this process dozens of times, Shinno encloses multilayered colors within a thickness of just a few millimeters, regarding the moment when layers fuse through firing as “the birth of blue.” Furthermore, by controlling surface tension through glaze component adjustment, he designs so that brush traces are visualized as minute patterns.
As a result, he achieved unique beauty where fluidity and stillness coexist within glaze layers. Shinno’s Tsuiji technique can be said to be an innovative achievement that sublimated traditional celadon into contemporary sculpture.
Contribution to Education and Nurturing Future Generations
Shinno, while being an excellent artist, has also greatly influenced the Japanese ceramics world as an educator. Beginning with instruction at Kyoto City University of Arts, he has been involved in local ceramic production areas and cultural property restoration projects, nurturing future generations from both theoretical and practical aspects.
His educational policy is characterized by emphasizing not only skill transmission but also theoretical understanding of materials and cultivation of sensibility in celadon technique succession. Students and young artists praise him as “a rare instructor who teaches the balance of logic and sensation,” highly evaluating his role as a bridge sublimating traditional techniques into contemporary creative thinking.
Educational Activities and Nurturing Future Generations at Kyoto City University of Arts
From 2010 to 2013, Shinno engaged in nurturing future generations as a part-time lecturer in the Craft Department at Kyoto City University of Arts. He has devoted himself to cultivating young artists, and his contributions are highly regarded.
He also served as a director of the Japan Craft Association (2013-2020) and executive director (2020-June 2024), working to develop traditional crafts and cultivate successors. He continues to be active as a regular member of the Japan Craft Association, while also serving as a councilor of the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shiga Prefecture and a councilor of the Shumei Cultural Foundation, contributing to the development of the craft world as a whole.
Shinno encountered ceramics while attending Kinki University, and his experience in the university ceramics club became the catalyst for aspiring to be a ceramic artist. He reminisces, “Having loved art since childhood, I peeked into the university ceramics club out of curiosity, and was immediately captivated by the charm of pottery.” While cherishing his own original experience, he continues activities that balance the succession of traditional techniques with the pursuit of contemporary expression.
Systematization of Technical Materials and Organization of Research Archives
Shinno has also devoted himself to activities organizing and publicizing research records on celadon techniques and Tsuiji processes. He systematized his own experiment notes, glaze formulation data, and firing condition records, organizing them as resource materials from which future generations can learn from both scientific and artistic perspectives.
This archive holds value not as a mere technical manual but as a “history of creation” including thought processes and records of failures. He is also active in collaboration with cultural property preservation and restoration studies, cooperating in glaze analysis of ancient celadon and national treasure-class ceramic fragments. Interdisciplinary research connecting classical and contemporary production contributes to building a new foundation for craft education.
This sharing of knowledge represents Shinno’s philosophy of “passing tradition to the future as an open knowledge system.”
NFT Art Works
“Inori” by Iwao Shinno
「祈り」 神農 巌 作
Regional Collaboration and International Exchange Nurturing Activities
Shinno has extended the educational setting beyond universities, collaborating with ceramic production areas nationwide. At the Hyogo Ceramic Art Museum (Tanba Sasayama City), he held the workshop “Demonstration & Lecture,” and as a councilor at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shiga Prefecture, he has devoted himself to cultivating young artists. In 2024, he served as a judge in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture, playing a role in connecting local technicians with young artists.
Furthermore, in 2003, he was invited to exhibit in the “Contemporary Korean-Japanese Ceramic Exhibition” at the Kumho Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, promoting exchange based on the common foundation of East Asian ceramic culture. Shinno states, “My dream is to transmit my celadon to the Chinese continent and Korean Peninsula and exchange with people around the world,” contributing to movements to reevaluate celadon expression in an international context.
At the Japan Craft Association, he served as director (2013-2020) and executive director (2020-June 2024), working to develop traditional crafts and cultivate successors. While working on technical succession, he continues to challenge new creative activities with an attitude that continues to lead the future of Japanese crafts.
Conclusion
Iwao Shinno is the foremost figure who sublimated the classical technique of celadon into contemporary sculptural thinking. While scientifically analyzing materials, his works harbor the breath of nature and spirituality, with a certain sense of vitality breathing within tranquility.
Through his unique technique of Tsuiji (pile-up porcelain), he erased the boundary between glaze and clay, creating a world of blue that embraces light within. His innovation and philosophy are highly regarded both domestically and internationally, making him a presence worthy of the title Living National Treasure.
As an educator as well, he has devoted himself to cultivating future generations, opening new horizons for Japanese crafts as a bridge connecting tradition and future. Shinno’s works can be said to be “the poetics of blue” itself, transcending mere ceramics.
