GLAZES
• Kaki: persimmon or red iron
• Kohiki: white slip
• Shino: Feldspar glaze originally developed in Japan
• Natural wood ash: pottery surface is left unglazed and takes on color and markings during the firing from the melted wood ash
• Celedon: white with hints of green or blue; originally developed in China

kira Satake creates functional ceramics with a Japanese aesthetic. One of his distinctive techniques involves brushing a Kohiki (porcelain white slip) glaze on to the clay and then stretching the clay to invest a textural energy that goes beyond surface decoration. The organic textures, combined with Satake's refined, minimalist shapes, result in unique, contemporary pieces.

Born in Osaka, Japan, the artist has been living in the U.S. since 1983 and has won numerous awards here for both visual and music. In 2003 he relocated from Brooklyn, New York to Swannanoa, North Carolina, where he built a Japanese Kyushu-style oil kiln and a wood-fired kiln.

Recent and upcoming exhibitions and awards: Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, 2007 - National Award for Excellence in Contemporary Clay; The Smithsonian Craft Show, 2008

He is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Piedmont Craftsmen.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT & RESUME