1934-
male
shino pottery
living national treasure
Following his graduation from High School, Suzuki Osamu began employment at Maruko Toen where he researched such topics as glaze application. At this time he also assisted his father, who was a ceramics engineer, in producing works.
Thereafter, he continued to produce works with his attention on the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition and the Japan Folk Crafts Exhibition. In 1959, he was first selected in the form of an honorable mention from the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. Then, in 1961, they awarded him the Award of Excellence of the First Degree. He was given his first award from the Japan Folk Crafts Exhibition in 1959. In 1961, he was given the NHK Award. In 1967, he received the Japan Kogei Association Chairman’s Award.
Further, he appeared in the 1962 Czech International Gallery of Ceramic Art and Design’s Grand Prix. In 1963 he received the Toyama Prefecture Governor’s Award at the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition. In 1965, he received the Gifu Prefecture Governor’s Award. In 1968, he received the Japan Ceramic Society Award, then in 1982 the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award. In 1987, he received a number of awards including the Gifu Newspaper Culture Award, the Chunichi Culture Award, the Award for Fine Arts, the Minister of Education Award, and Gifu Prefecture’s Culture Award for the Fine Arts. In 1992, he became a certified custodian of Tajimi City’s Intangible Cultural Assets with relation to Shino ware. This was due to his history of public acknowledgments, and his role representing Japan’s post-war era as a leader in contemporary Shino ware. In 1994, he was given national recognition as an intangible cultural asset (a living national treasure). In 1995 he was decorated the Medal with a Purple Ribbon. With repeated trial and error researching potter’s clay and glaze, he went on producing ceramics with natural coexistence as his theme.In order to thoroughly provide color using Shino glaze and iron glaze, and through the principle of Yohen, he began using a gas oven. The red, thick iron glaze on the quiet white expresses the aesthetic Wabi Sabi, and with these he continues to announce the creation of new, elegant works.
