About REIKO MIYAGI
Born and raised in Japan where ceramic culture has a long and rich history and is a big part of the national culture, Reiko naturally developed a love for pottery. She earned a B.A. from Tama Art University in Tokyo and then studied traditional and contemporary ceramic making at Bunka Gakuin Ceramic School. After an apprenticeship at Tsukamoto Ceramic Co in Mashiko, a renowned folk pottery town, she established her own studio and worked full-time as a studio potter there until moving to the US in 1997. Here she was exposed to new techniques and developed her signature sgraffito stoneware. She has her studio gallery now in Asheville, NC and her work has been selected by numerous shows and galleries including the Smithsonian Craft Show, the American Craft Council Shows and the Charlotte Mint Museum Potters Invitational. Her work is in the Charlotte Mint Museum’s permanent collection.
Artist Statement
“Yaoyorozu no kami” – or literally “god in eight million things” – is the ancient Japanese belief that all beings and objects have a spirit and divinity within. Born and raised in Japan, my aesthetic sensibility was largely influenced by the traditional art and crafted items that reflect this philosophy. With my pottery I use black slip on white stoneware and sgraffito technique to draw my own “yaoyorozu no kami.” My work is the result of these “moments of bliss” while working with the clay and expresses my belief in the connectedness of all beings and appreciation for our surroundings, which make us what we are.
Contact
Website: www.studiotabularasa.com
Facebook: Studio-Tabula-Rasa-by-Reiko-Miyagi
Instagram: @studiotabularasa
