Tsuboi Asuka 坪井明日香 1932-2022

Born in Osaka City, Japan

Tsuboi Asuka  (1932-2022) was one of the most influential female artists in Japanese contemporary ceramics. After graduating from high school, Tsuboi apprenticed under master Tomimoto Kenikichi and with his encouragement, she became an independent artist. In 1957, she co-founded Joryū tōgei, or Women's Association of Ceramic Arts, a first of its kind in the tradition-bound and male-dominated Kyoto arts scene. The groundbreaking group opened doors for women clay artists and created exhibitions that offered their work to the public. To this day, this pioneering group has continuously supported women's cutting-edge clay art. Creatively, Tsuboi drew inspiration from both traditional textiles found in her adopted home of Kyoto and the beauty she found in nature. Her aesthetic utilizes richly colored glazes to create imaginative patterning that balances tradition and the avant-garde.