Atsuko Yoshimura
Biography
Atsuko Yoshimura grew up in Japan and immigrated to Canada in 1996. She studied ceramics extensively in Japan and Canada. Upon arrival in Vancouver, she enrolled in the Fine Arts program at Langara College. Then she transferred to Emily Carr University of Art and Design and received a BFA in 2006. On top of her studies, she worked as a glaze technician at a pottery studio, and she also produced ceramic work for galleries and craft shows around Vancouver. In 2008, she took a hiatus from pottery making and focused on raising her children. Once her second son entered elementary school in 2014, she made a fresh start with a new body of work, porcelain series. She worked as a pottery studio manager at West End Community Centre from 2015 to 2019. She currently works as a full-time ceramic artist in Vancouver, BC.
Artists Statement
As I grew up in Japan, my work is influenced by the aesthetics of the Japanese tradition which is balanced with beauty, tranquility and simplicity.
Although my work ranges from wheel-thrown functional ware to large sculptures, the majority of my work is tableware – cups, bowls, plates and teapots. I strive to make my pottery that has both beauty and practicality.
“Hakuji” is a Japanese word which means white porcelain ware. My Hakuji functional ware is made out of translucent porcelain. The thinly thrown porcelain is so translucent that it looks like glowing from inside when the light is poured over. I decorate my work using various methods: throwing marks and lines, altering the form by cutting and rejoining, cutting out holes and curving the surface. I especially like to make throwing marks. I use a lot of water for wheel-throwing to make the porcelain wall very thin and undulated with throwing marks, and draw a crisp line with a metal rib. The throwing mark is a reflection of the shape of my hands, so leaving throwing marks on the surface is, for me, an expression of my passion for making pottery. Unlike industrial mass produced pottery, handmade pottery can provide person to person contact. I believe that I can share my passion and aesthetic gratification with the user through my work and I hope it brings beauty and enjoyment into our everyday life.
The light sculptures, “Undulation”, are also made out of translucent porcelain. The sculpture is a simple cylinder, and the decoration is only my throwing marks and overwrapped clay walls. But the method of making is particularly demanding. I start with throwing very thin porcelain walls on the wheel, and then carefully assemble them into a cylinder form, so you can see my throwing marks vertically. The light sculpture is reminiscent of the organic forms of nature, such as trees and water. The undulating and sensuous lines on the surface evoke the murmur of waves. At the same time, the soft light through the porcelain wall is reminiscent of the glow seen in kilns during the firing.
Available Art Work for Purchasing
For enquiry, please contact the gallery at info@visualspace.ca or call 1 604 559 0576
Viewing is available by appointment at the gallery. Artist's other works are also available by request.
