Ishigaki, Okinawa JAPAN
Profile
Profile (April 2022)
Haruhiko KANEKO was born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1961.
His study of ceramics began in 1976 in his father’s
pottery studio on Yoron Island. In 1999, he established
Ishigakiyaki Pottery Studio on Ishigaki Island, western Okinawa,
home to scenic Kabira Bay. Kaneko’s technical and
artistic achievements include konoha (leaf-pattern) tenmoku
(2009), youhen-taihi tenmoku (2010; the world’s first
such combination; shown in Paris and subsequently acquired
by the British Museum), the perfection of the yuteki tenmoku
method (2012), and a process to produce aquamarine glass
(Ishigaki Blue; 2015). The latter was used to create
Silent Blue Wall, a large-format ceramic installation that
received two gold medals at the Salon des Beaux Arts, Paris
(2015). Also in 2015, he determined the composition of a yuteki tenmoku glaze made 1,000 years ago
in China and recreated it using materials from Ishigaki. The same year, he succeeded in integrating
yuteki tenmoku with Ishigaki Blue glass, which he has been applying in contemporary art ceramics.
Masayo KANEKO was born in 1966 in Yokosuka, Japan. Following a career with a company specializing
in fine jewelry and fashion accessories, she resettled in Ishigaki in 2005 following her marriage. Since
mastering the art of ceramics under Haruhiko, she has become increasingly involved in idea
development, prototype-making, and supervising the final execution of artworks by studio staff. With
their Taiwan show in 2018, Masayo emerged as a key artistic partner for Haruhiko. Today the Kanekos
regard themselves as an artistic unit and participate equally in the KANEKO project.
Haruhiko and Masayo have been active worldwide in expanding the boundaries of Japanese ceramics
both through their own work and through cultural exchanges, including in Mongolia, where they have
taught and donated equipment. They reside in Ishigaki City.
Solo and Group Exhibitions, Collections, and Awards (S, G, C, A, respectively)
2021 Ishigaki City Hall, Ishigaki, Japan (C)
2020 ANA Intercontinental Hotel, Ishigaki, Japan (C)
2019 Revelations: International Fine Craft and Creation Biennial, Paris, France (G)
King Mohammed VI of Morocco (C)
Rencontre artistique Monaco-Japon, Monte Carlo, Monaco (G)
Received Prix grand avenir (A)
Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen, Denmark (C)
2018 Rencontre artistique Monaco-Japon, Monte Carlo, Monaco (G)
Received Prix des arts et de la culture (A)
Masterpieces: 400 Years of Japanese Ceramics, Keramiski Center, Höganäs, Sweden (G)
Le Salon des Beaux Arts, Société nationale des beaux arts, Paris, France (G)
Haohaus Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan (S)
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, Tokyo, Japan (C)
Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris, France (C)
Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, Switzerland (C)
Embassy of Japan, Stockholm, Sweden (C)
Embassy of Japan, Port Louis, Mauritius (C)
2017 Collect, Saatchi Gallery and Dutko Gallery, London, UK (G)
Galerie Tiago, Paris, France (S)
Gallery GK, Tokyo, Japan (S)
Silent Blue Wall: The Art of Haruhiko Kaneko, 45th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations
between Japan and Mongolia, Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia (S)
Happy Blue Wall: The Art of Haruhiko Kaneko, 45th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations
between Japan and Mongolia, Mongolia-Japan Center, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (S)
Revelations: International Fine Craft and Creation Biennial, Paris, France (G)
British Museum, London, UK (C)
Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (C)
Mongolia-Japan Center for Human Resources Development, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (C)
Embassy of India, Tokyo, Japan (C)
Diploma Pedro Francisco Garcia, Art Maison Selecting Committee, Madrid, Spain (A)
Master Alliance of Art Ceramic in China, Shanghai, China (A)
Honorary Professor, Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (A)
2016 Ceramic Art York 2016, York Museum Gardens, York, UK (G)
Masterpiece London, London, UK (G)
Encounters: Japanese Works of Art from the 1930s to Today, Dutko Gallery, London, UK (G)
Atelier 28, Lyon, France (G)
Le Salon des Beaux Arts, Société nationale des beaux arts, Paris, France (G)
Gallery GK, Tokyo, Japan (S)
Prince Takahito Mikasa (Honorary Fellow, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan) (C)
York Art Gallery, York, UK (C)
Embassy of Mongolia, Tokyo, Japan (C)
Embassy of Japan, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (C)
Embassy of Japan, Paris, France (C)
Japanese Consular Office, Lyon, France (C)
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Teng-hui (former President of Taiwan and his wife) (C)
2015 Rencontre artistique Monaco-Japon, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the
accession of Prince Albert II, Monte Carlo, Monaco (G)
Haruhiko Kaneko Solo Exhibition, Villa Bagatelle, Marseille, France (S)
Gallery GK, Tokyo, Japan (S)
Expo Milano, Japan Pavilion, Milan, Italy (G)
Art in Clay Hatfield, Hatfield, UK (G)
Ombres et Lumières, Galerie Dutko, Paris, France (G)
Bienal de Art: Maison Japón, Madrid, Spain (G)
Revelations: International Fine Craft and Creation Biennial, Paris, France (G)
Le Salon des Beaux Arts, Société nationale des beaux arts, Paris, France (G)
Received two gold medals (A)
Japanese Consulate, Marseille, France (C)
2014 Cool Japan, Le Jules Verne (Tour Eiffel) and Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, Paris,
France (G)
Haruhiko Kaneko Solo Exhibition, Consulate General of Japan, Marseille, France (S)
Haruhiko Kaneko Solo Exhibition, Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris, Paris, France (S)
Galerie Le Pré au 6 (S)
Gallery GK, Tokyo, Japan (S)
2013 Shimonoseki City Art Museum, Shimonoseki, Japan (G)
Shimonoseki City Art Museum, Shimonoseki, Japan (C)
Gallery GK, Tokyo, Japan (S)
2012 Salon international du patrimoine culturel, Paris, France (G)
Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan (C)
Master Craftsman of Excellence, Governor of Okinawa, Japan (A)
2010 Nippon Daihoujyuten, Nikkō Toshogu Shrine World Heritage Site, Nikkō, Japan (S)
2005 World Exposition, Kyushu-Okinawa Day, Nagoya, Japan (G)
