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Miyanaga Tōzan III

Japanese, born 1935

BiographyBelonging to the second generation of Sōdeisha (Crawling through Mud Association), today Miyanaga Rikichi is perhaps the last living and working master of this influential Japanese avant-garde ceramic group that was active throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Established in Kyoto in 1948, Sōdeisha sought to revolutionize the long-established traditional Japanese pottery-making. Adopting the language of Abstract Expressionism, the Sōdeisha artists deprived the functionality of ceramic utensils, and transformed ceramics from objects of daily use to objects of aesthetic value. Inspired by such ideology at his youth,
the Kyoto ceramist family-born Rikichi set out to establish his versatile artistic style in late 1950s. The monumental clay objects created immediately after Rikichi’s returning from the United States in 1961 are of particular interest, for these demonstrate the young Rikichi’s experiment and exploration of the American avant-gardism with the medium of clay.

1935 Born in Kyoto as a son of Tozan Miyanaga the Second. His real name is ‘Rikichi.’
1958 Graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts faculty of sculpture and went to advanced course. Taught from Shindo Tsuji and Masakazu Horiuchi. Intended to make sculpture using clay. Became a member of Kohdo Bijutu Association and belonged there until 1969.
1960 Dropped out of advanced course and moved to the United States.
Travelled from Mexico to New York and studied at Art Students League.
1964 Group exhibition; “Survey of Contemporary Art” at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.
1965 Solo exhibition at Tokyo New Center. It was his first exhibition of ceramic work.
1970 Became a member of “Sodeisya.” Group exhibition; “Six young Japanese potters,” Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery in Scripps College, the United States.Group exhibition; “Contemporary Pottery : Europe and Japan,” the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.
1979 Group exhibition; “Current Japanese Pottery,” Denver Art Museum, the United States.
1991 Published Collections of works “YAKIMONO : the world of Miyanaga Rikichi.”
1995 Selected as a recommended artist of Nihon Togei ten (Japan Ceramic exhibition) and exhibit afterward.Appointed professor at Wakayama University.Group exhibition; “Japanese studio crafts,” Victoria and Albert Museum,England.
1998 Received Kyoto prefecture Cultural Contribution Award.
1999 Succeed the name of Tozan Miyanaga the Third. Exhibition; “Three Generations of Tozan,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.
2000 Group exhibition; “’Utsuwa’: Thoughts on Contemporary Vessels,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
2001 Group exhibition; “Arts and Crafts in Kyoto―1945-2000,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kyoto.
2004 Solo exhibition at Gallery Shibunkaku and Gallery Nakamura.
2008 Received Kyoto prefecture Art Contribution Award in March.
2015 Second Solo exhibition at Gallery Shibunkaku in January.

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