Ceramic Plate
Manufactured by Yuji Ueda
Japan, 2025
Ceramic

Measurements
88 × 95 × 39h cm
34,6 × 37,4 × 15,4h in

Provenance
Private collection

Details
Sculptural ceramic plate, with unique glaze and hand-finished surface

About
The ceramic works of Yuji Ueda are distinguished by their raw physicality, organic asymmetry, and deeply textured surfaces. Each vessel transcends functionality, existing instead as sculptural presences that reflect both material experimentation and a profound respect for tradition.
Ueda often pushes clay to its physical limits, hand-building large-scale forms that reveal cracks, fissures, and irregularities as integral aspects of beauty. His glazes—ranging from deep blacks and browns to striking blues—enhance the sense of geological force, as if the works were unearthed from the natural world rather than crafted in the studio.
Rooted in Japanese ceramic traditions but radical in execution, Ueda’s pieces inhabit the space between artifact and artwork, embodying resilience, impermanence, and the intimate dialogue between earth, fire, and hand.

Biography
Yuji Ueda (b. 1975, Shigaraki, Japan) is a contemporary ceramic artist celebrated for his bold redefinition of Japanese pottery. Raised in Shigaraki, one of Japan’s historic ceramic centers, Ueda was immersed early in the traditions of clay and kiln. He studied under renowned ceramic masters before establishing his own studio, where he developed a distinctive language of form and surface.
Unlike traditional functional ceramics, Ueda’s works are often monumental, sculptural, and raw. He embraces imperfections—cracks, bulges, and irregular textures—as signs of vitality and authenticity. His glazes evoke landscapes, minerals, and natural phenomena, situating his practice in dialogue with both nature and contemporary art.
Internationally recognized, Ueda has exhibited at major museums and galleries across Asia, Europe, and the United States. His work is included in significant public and private collections, marking him as one of the leading voices in 21st-century Japanese ceramics.