Born into a pottery-making family, Katō Ryōtarō (b. 1974) represents the eighth generation of ceramists working in the Mino region. His great-grandfather established the current family’s studio, Kōbei-gama. Ryōtarō’s grandfather, Kōbei VI (1917-2005) or better known as Katō Takuo, was designated a Living National Treasure for a multiplicity of glazes that he spent a lifetime researching, such as lusterware, sansai (Chinese three-color glazing), Persian-style decoration, and blue glaze, all of which he imbued with his own sensibility.
As an undergraduate student at Kyoto Seika University, Katō Ryōtarō studied under Matsumoto Hideo (b. 1951) before entering Kyoto City University of Arts’ graduate program under Akiyama Yō (b. 1953); an additional major influence came from his studies with the calligrapher Ishikawa Kyūyō (b. 1945). While focusing on sculpture as a student, his work since then has returned to his familial roots with a deep appreciation of the tea ceremony. His teaware adheres to traditional aesthetics, while his surface decoration reveals this multiplicity of influences, demonstrating his brilliance in combining Japanese tradition with an indigenous modern sensibility. In 2002, he built a new kiln in which the fire enters the kiln from the floor, rises and hits the ceiling, descends to the floor, and exits from the fire hole (tōenshiki), creating highly unusual kiln effects.
