Wakao Toshisada 若尾 利貞 b. 1933

Born in Tajimi, Gifu, Japan

WAKAO TOSHISADA is a leading artist specializing in grey-Shino ware, a type of ceramic with a long tradition originating in the Momoyama period (16th century). Though he chiefly produces tableware, Wakao also produces large-scale plates and vases in abstract forms. These daring sculptural silhouettes contrast with the natural motifs inspired by the Rinpa school of painting that decorate the vessels. To achieve such intricate decoration, he applies several layers of glaze and slip over multiple firings. He also employs neriage technique, a process of mixing colored clay while shaping the form.

In 2003, he was appointed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Gifu Prefecture. 

Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Portland Art Museum, OR

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK