Yuhki TANAKA

Born in 1965 in Ureshino City, Saga Prefecture.
Graduated from the Sculpture Department of Tokyo University of the Arts in 1989.
In 2000, Tanaka held a solo exhibition and a four-month workshop at the European Ceramic Work Center in the Netherlands.
In 2003, he established the Tanaka Yuhki Ceramic Studio, “Hirakirn,” and received the Chozasho Award at the Contemporary Ceramic Biennale in Nagoya.
In 2004, he held a solo exhibition and a three-month workshop at the Museo del Cantir in Spain.
In 2005, he was selected for the 54th Faenza International Ceramic Biennale in Italy, and won the Grand Prix at the CERCO International Ceramics Exhibition in Zaragoza, Spain.
In 2009, he was invited to the 3rd International Contemporary Ceramics Workshop “Periferia ’09” in Galicia, Spain.
In 2014, he held a solo exhibition titled *Life* at Gallery Nichijo in Seoul, South Korea.
Currently, he serves as a professor at the Faculty of Art and Regional Design at Saga University.

Tanaka continues to create ceramic works at his Hirakirn Studio in Takeo City. For this exhibition, in response to a request from Kenji Yanagi, he is showcasing his *Cloud* series. Among these is the newly completed piece *Cumulonimbus*, a striking black and white sculpture that stands in perfect balance. Given the global context, the work evokes imagery of atomic bomb clouds, abnormal weather caused by global warming, and a yearning for peace amidst a world in turmoil. The experience of viewing Yanagi’s work through the lens of Tanaka’s creations is one of great delight.