Gomi Kenji

Gomi Kenji is a Japanese ceramic artist whose sculptural practice is rooted in the possibilities of hand-built clay. Born in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, he graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo in 2001 before studying ceramics in Okinawa. He moved to Toki, Gifu Prefecture, in 2004, a region with a long history of ceramic production, before establishing his studio in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, in 2015.

Working primarily with the ancient technique of coiling, Gomi builds forms gradually by hand, allowing the clay to determine the direction and character of each work. His vessels appear to rise organically from the ground, their surfaces swelling, extending and curling into unexpected configurations. Rather than imposing a fixed shape upon the material, he allows the clay itself to guide the process, creating works in which weight, movement and structure remain closely connected. The material becomes the central presence in his practice, with forms that seem at once grounded and in motion.

Gomi has received numerous awards in Japan, including the Grand Prix at the International Ceramic Competition Mino in 2014 and the Katsuranomiya Trophy at the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition in 2019. His work has been presented in exhibitions internationally and is held in public collections including the V&A in London and the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford. He is also a specially appointed professor at Kasama College of Ceramic Art, continuing to contribute to the development of contemporary Japanese ceramics.