Suzuki Taku (b. 1977)
鈴木卓
The bold and dynamic shapes of Suzuki Taku’s ceramic sculptures seem to challenge their seemingly fragile balance. They confront the expected in ceramic art and suggest the monumental in their soaring angles and planes. An architect by academic training, this influence is felt in the clearly defined shapes of the works. The world of metal and construction is further referenced in the striking glazes, black rust, iron and manganese. Metal filings are applied directly to the clay body and these fuse together in the firing to create a shimmering metallic finish that dazzles.
Suzuki Taku is one of a group of emerging artists in their early thirties. In 2005 at the age of 28, only five years from graduating from the prestigious Waseda University in architecture, and only one year after graduating from the Tajimi Institute of Ceramic Design, Suzuki won the Excellence Award at the renowned ceramic museum Musee Tomo in Tokyo, as well as the equivalent at the equally well-regarded Asahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition. Only four years later, after several other awards, this young artist took out the Grand Prize at the Annual Paramita Museum ceramic awards.
Success in major awards in an artist’s career can either contribute to continued development, or cause intense creative pressure. Recently married, and with a new studio in Takasaki city, Suzuki tells us that he has been distracted from his work by his new life. The new studio and surrounds provide a regenerative inspiration. He is currently creating new work for a solo exhibition in Tokyo later this year and we look forward to further evidence of his progress.
