Shoji Hamada - Jonathan Accatino

Shoji Hamada was a very talented Japanese potter who lived from December 9, 1894 to January 5, 1978. He was widely recognized as one of the most influential potters of the twentieth century. Hamada traveled to the US to teach and give workshops on his ceramics. He also traveled to gain experience and learn about different styles of pottery. Although many different traditions influenced his work, all his pieces remain very unique to his own style. He received recognitions for his work from the emperor and was awarded both the Okinawa Times Award and the Order of Culture. I picked the 9-sided jar because I liked how the shape of it was very unique, and when you think of a jar you don't think of it to have 9 sides and this is what makes the piece so different. Also the paint marks in the middle are very interesting because they don't depict a specific image, but instead he leaves it up to your imagination. Lastly, the medium that was used in making this piece was reduced stoneware, which I hope to learn more about during this class.