Uematsu Eiji: Spring Soil

At the beginning of spring, Shibunkaku is pleased to present a new solo exhibition of Uematsu Eiji, Spring Soil.
The year 2022 marks fifty years since Uematsu Eiji began his career in ceramics by moving to Tokyo and starting his position at a regional ceramic factory. This was followed by further relocations, first to Shigaraki, known for its long ceramics tradition and high- quality local clay, then to Iga. Uematsu thus has left behind a track record of already half a century of highly original and idiosyncratic work that has culminated in various acclaimed exhibitions in galleries and museums across Japan, and time and again even abroad (New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Taipei, Guam…). The present exhibition is the second time we hold a solo show of Uematsu’s works, after Mud and Stars in 2017.
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1949　Born in Kobe (Hyōgo Prefecture)
1972　Uematsu begins creating reliefs to study the various qualities of clay,
soon after he starts to work as a ceramist in Tokyo
1975　Moves to Shigaraki in Shiga Prefecture, working at a ceramics factory while
creating his own works on the side
1982　Moves to Marubashi in Iga (Mie Prefecture) and constructs his own kiln that
operates on firewood and kerosene. He experiments with open-field firing.
1996　Uematsu is invited as an artist in residence at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park.
2007　The Shape of Soil, solo exhibition at the Museum of Arts & Crafts, Itami (Hyōgo)
2009　Soil/Fire—To the Root, solo exhibition at the Kōmimachi Kōgen Museum of Art
2015　Wins the Paramita Grand Prix of Crafts of the Paramita Museum (Mie Prefecture)
2016　The Sky that the Rabbits Saw, solo exhibition at Kyoto City University of Arts Art
Gallery (@KCUA, Kyoto)
2017　Mud and Stars, solo exhibition at Shibunkaku, Kyoto)
2018　Chapter of Soil, solo exhibition at Shiseido Window Gallery (Shiseido Store, Tokyo)
2020　Soil and Fire, solo exhibition at the Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyōgo