Itabashi Hiromi was born in 1948 in Mitaka, Tokyo Japan. He studied ceramics at Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center under Itō Keiji (b. 1935) and then apprenticed at Itō’s personal studio. In 1980, he returned to Mitaka, Tokyo where he set up his studio questioning the nature of ceramics. Influenced by Koie Ryōji (1938-2020) inspireped to create pure, raw and beautiful objects. Realizations surfaced that ceramics with a dent in its surface could be considered a 'vessel'. 'These conclusions allowed Itabashi to free himself from the preconceptions of ceramics and focus instead on their invisible essence.'
Itabashi’s creative process and toolkit explores a plethora of varying techniques and forms. In the mid-90s, white porcelain and chamotte works became his primary focus. Utilizing these materials for distinctive form and shape, you can see Itabashi's work flourish from 'concrete injection into a ballooon, casting mold from that shape and lastly injecting porcelain slip into the mold for a resulting sculpture with smoother lines then he would achieve using a potter’s wheel'. By firing chamotte particles within glaze, is another successful technique to divert shape into a creative form. Itabashi's creative priocess can be viewed as drawing a painting with glaze utilizing chamotte to incorporate sturtcure. This specific technique, he references as chuku ( lit in midair), produces forms never before found in ceramics.
Selected Awards
2009 World’s Craft City Declaration Award | Kanazawa Kogei Exhibition
2008 Kanazawa Mayor Highest Award | Kanazawa Kogei Exhibition
1991 The 47th Faenza International Ceramic Exhibition, Purchase Award | Italy