Ceramic artist
Rion Yagyu
Based in Kyoto, Japan
Career
Graduated from the Ceramics field in the Graduate School of Arts at Kyoto University of the Arts.
While in graduate school, began making ceramic vessels and objects, along with cloth-like works assembled from small ceramic pieces and works worn on the body.
2024 — Presented work at the Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate Exhibition.
2025 — Exhibited in Contemporary Artists × Irimatsu Residence: Weaving Spring Peonies.
2025 — Participated in Emergence: Crafting Futures from Clay AUTUMN.
2025 — Held a solo exhibition at Hachibankan Gallery.
2025 — Received the Encouragement Award (Ito Cultural Foundation Award) in the crafts division of the Prefectural Exhibition.
Today — Based in Kyoto, continues to work as an artist and serves on the ceramics course critique staff for Kyoto University of the Arts’ distance-learning program.
Main work: ceramic vessels, objects, cloth and clothing made from ceramic pieces, and installations.
About the artist
Rion Yagyu is a ceramic artist from Kobe, now based in Kyoto. After studying comprehensive art and design at Kyoto University of the Arts, she continued into the university’s graduate ceramics program and continues to work from Kyoto.
Yagyu works across vessels, objects, and installations. Particularly distinctive are her cloth-like works, assembled by connecting small ceramic pieces one by one. In her representative work Cloth of Time, around 30,000 ceramic fragments are used, later developing into “ceramic clothing” worn on the body.
Clay is hard, yet at the same time easily broken. By connecting this quality with the delicacy and fluctuation of the human heart, Yagyu gives soft motifs such as cloth, clothing, and flowers a form in ceramics.
The same freedom of form lives in her vessels. They remain everyday tools while retaining small moments of play in their colors and shapes. This gives Yagyu’s vessels a light and fresh presence.