About

Eri’s work is functional pottery which is mainly thrown on a wheel. She creates the pattern on each piece by hand-cutting paper, then laying it out so as to be unique and dynamic using the body of the piece as a canvas. She tries to make two-dimensional patterns look three-dimensional through placement of the design on the organic curve. The techniques of asymmetry and dynamic composition in her pottery may have been influenced by her experience studying Japanese Middle Ages art on folding screens, ink paintings, sliding screen paintings, and illustrated scrolls in her early days as an art history student.

The form of her pottery is as significant as the pattern. Beautiful, organic and functional : these are the elements that she always keep in mind. In addition, she is always seeking the infinite variety of combinations of clay and slip that will make the pattern look as beautiful as possible.

Eri was born in Tokyo and raised in Yokohama, Japan. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and her Master of Design degree in Industrial Design and worked as an industrial designer in Japan. She met the world of clay and started with hand-building pottery at a studio while working as an industrial designer in Tokyo. She moved to the United States in 2005, and started to learn wheel throwing in 2006. Since then, she has been enjoying exploring and challenging her creativity in her studio in Orange County, CA. 

Her work is not only for special occasions but also for daily use. Her hope is always that each piece will become one of the joyful elements in someone’s life.

2020
Honorable Mention (Fall Show)/ Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA
2019
Honorable Mention (Fall Show)/ Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA
Second Place Ceramics (Spring Show) / Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA
Best in Ceramics / Tempe Festival of the Arts Spring show, AZ
2018
Best in Ceramics / Tempe Festival of the Arts Fall show, AZ
Ceramic Category Award / Scottsdale Arts Festival, AZ
2017
Third Place Ceramics (Fall Show) / Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA
2013
Honorable Mention (Fall Show) / Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA
First Place / La Jolla Art and Wine Festival, La Jolla, CA
Honorable Mention (Spring Show) / Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA
First Place Utilitarian Pottery / Indian Wells Art Festival, Indian Wells, CA
2012
First Place Ceramics (Fall Show) / Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA