Biography
Yuichiro Komatsu, originally from Tokyo, Japan, is a contemporary ceramic artist and educator. He studied at Parsons School of Design and obtained his BFA from the State University of New York at New Paltz. After graduating, he apprenticed with the internationally renowned ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu. He then earned his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Komatsu was awarded the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Postgraduate Research Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Art, Architecture, and Public Sphere at Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee in Germany.
Komatsu’s work has been exhibited at numerous venues, both nationally and internationally. These include the Haw Contemporary in Kansas City, Missouri; the Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia; the Paço das Artes in São Paulo,Brazil; the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; the Jingdezhen Ceramic University Art Museum in Jiangxi, China; and the Berliner Kunst Project in Berlin, Germany, among others. He has participated in artist residency programs at the Banff Centre in Canada, the European Ceramic Work Centre in the Netherlands, Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) in Brazil, the Institute for Research in Applied Arts (IRAA) at the Hochschule Düsseldorf-University of Applied Sciences in Germany, and the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Japan.
Komatsu serves as a Professor of Art at Columbus State University. He has previously held teaching positions at the Alberta University of the Arts, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and Queens College, City University of New York. He is currently based in Columbus, GA.
Artist Statement
As a minimalist ceramic sculptor, I find inspiration in the enduring and pliable nature of clay. The transformation of raw earth into ceramic represents a profound dialogue between the mutable and the immutable. This corporeal and temporal essence captures the interplay of fragility and permanence within my artistic practice.
My bi-cultural background and experiences within diverse cultural landscapes have given me awareness regarding the transient nature of societal frameworks against the vast expanse of time. In my artistic pursuit, I muse on the enduring aspects of existence, aiming to transcend the temporal boundaries erected by civilizations. Central to this inquiry is an exploration of potentiality and the expansion of form. I seek to convey the poetic resonance of space by juxtaposing the tangible yet intangible and the visible alongside the invisible.
The modular nature of my artwork reflects the belief that existence is contextually defined by its surroundings, and the interplay between form and formlessness. This dynamic tension is a visualization of the Japanese concept of “Ma,” a reverence for the profound elegance of simplicity, as well as an experiential embodiment of negative space. I utilize diverse techniques such as hand-building, slip-casting, and wheel-throwing, adapting them to suit specific concepts. While each method introduces a distinctive sense of rhythm, timing, and connection with the material, one consistent element is the careful consideration of the relationship between inside and outside, along with a keen awareness of “empty space.”
As I navigate the subtle balance between ephemeral and eternal aspects, my work strives to evoke a tangible yet fleeting sense of beauty – a quest for forms that exist at the intersection of delicacy and resilience.