Yoji Yamada Ceramics Exhibition 2025 | 13th September to October 2025 | Goldmark Gallery | Uppingham
A new exhibition by Yoji Yamada, the renowned Shigaraki-based potter, is hosted this autumn at Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, and runs until October 2025. He is a master of wood-fired ceramics, and his pots feature beautifully textured finishings complemented by spontaneous linework. The exhibition, which opens on 13 September, will feature an ‘in conversation’ session with the gallery founder Mike Goldmark, followed by a Q&A with attendees.
Yamada’s work is strongly influenced by 19th-century English ceramics slipware, which he describes as the catalyst that started him working and which provides a reason for him to continue to do so; the quiet elegance of English slipware—values that continue to echo through his work today. However, he uses pottery from medieval England, which pre-dates slipware, as a reference for the shapes of the pieces he creates.
Central to Yamada’s work is the yakishime slipware technique—high-temperature, unglazed firing that vitrifies the clay and creates natural ash glazing. Yakishime is often described as a dance of fire, earth, and air that results in unique works of art. The technique originated towards the end of the 12th century and is based on firing without glazes at temperatures above 1200 degrees. This vitrifies the clay and makes it extremely hard; natural enamelling is created by the high temperature of the wood firing.
But true artists never stand still, and Yamada has recently been making a ceramic series that is fired at low temperature and is bright and soft in appearance. It will be fascinating to see Yamada’s new creations, and this show will be an ideal opportunity to see the work of an exceptional potter celebrated for his deep connection to his craft. Yamada often uses engobe, a method that involves decorating the ceramic surface with a liquid clay slip, giving the pieces a matte finish. His ceramics are distinguished by their expressive, individual patterns. All his pottery is fired using a traditional wood-fired kiln, harnessing the raw power of flame and ash to shape the final aesthetic of each piece. A filmed walkthrough of the show, hosted by Max Waterhouse, will also be free and available on demand 24/7 at www.goldmarkart.com
About the artist
Yoji Yamada is a Japanese ceramic artist based in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture—a region renowned for its ancient pottery traditions. He began producing traditional ceramics in Japan in 2008. Drawn in by a poster for an English slipware exhibition in Japan, a young Yoji Yamada found himself captivated by it and decided to travel to England to study ceramics, eventually securing a rare apprenticeship with renowned ceramicist Lisa Hammond MBE—one of the few British potters offering hands-on mentorship at the time. After completing his training, Yamada returned to Japan and spent several years producing functional ware for a small ceramics company. This period honed his technical skills and deepened his understanding of everyday pottery, and he established his own studio. Today, Yamada’s work is exhibited both in Japan and internationally, with shows in China, Canada, and across Europe.
Gallery review by MBW