Tomoya Sakai

Tomoya Sakai is an artist born in Aichi, Japan, in 1989. He studied ceramics at the Nagoya University of Arts and then at the Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center. His ceramic works are part of collections around the world, such as the Faenza International Museum of Ceramic Art in Italy, the Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art in Korea, or the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taiwan.

Tomoya’s works have been selected for significant competitions, such as the 62nd Faenza Prize in Italy, the 12th International Ceramics Competition MINO in Japan, the 10th Korean International Ceramics Biennale in Korea, and the 2020 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, among others.

“I’ve developed a series on the theme of self-memory, other people’s memories, and the memories of time. I have turned various memories into abstract images through clay and pottery wheel techniques, and through making works, I have been thinking about myself and what surrounds me.

A person’s personality and worldview are significantly shaped by their experiences, accumulating over time as memories. Investigating these memories can provide insights into the core of what it means to be human.

I produce shapes with a pottery wheel as if meditating. By exploring the fragments of memories that have sunk into the unconscious and consciously connecting their shapes, I dismantle and reconstruct the imprinted images. Those shapes become “something that looks like something, but that may not be.” I create things that lie between unconsciousness and consciousness or abstraction and concreteness. And then, through unfixed images, I awaken my deep memories and reconsider who I am.

Understanding how different people perceive a specific image can reveal the variations in our perspectives compared to others, prompting us to reflect on our own identities. This awareness of our place within the broader social fabric helps us navigate the complexities of human society and find ways to coexist.”

Visit Tomoya Sakai’s website and Instagram page.