FO U R DAY S W IT H C E RAMI C ARTI S T YO S H I K A W A MA S AMI C H I – TAASA Review June 2014

Wendy Ella Wright A fter a few briefing phone calls and emails from the Tokoname Studio in Japan, I went to meet Yoshikawa Masamichi at Adelaide Airport as his Japanese/English language interpreter for the ceramic master classes he was giving at the 2012 Australian Ceramics Triennale, ‘Subversive Clay’.

This four day international ceramics event aimed, according to the official organisers, at “exploring clay as a medium capable of challenging artistic, social and cultural issues through investigation across traditions and new experimentations.” I remember well the excitement with which we all awaited for Yoshikawa and the other ceramics artists to arrive from around the world. From his deep voice and honorific Japanese briefing over the phone, I half expected ‘Yoshikawa Sensei’ to be dressed as a tea ceremony master, wearing an indigo kimono and geta.

Instead, he came towards me in his Issey Miyake jacket and jeans, observing me quietly with amusement...