DiscoverCraft makers and the evidence for their practice
Portrait of Shiro Shimizu.
Portrait of Shiro Shimizu. · @shimizushiro (maker's own Instagram) · Headshot source page for Shiro Shimizu · Headshot image for Shiro Shimizu
Materials
clay, wild clay
Classification
ceramics

清水志郎

All makers

Shiro Shimizu

Profile

Background

Shiro Shimizu was born in Kyoto's Gojozaka district into a ceramic family: his grandfather was the potter Uiichi Shimizu and his father is Yasutaka Shimizu. He graduated from Kyoto Seika University's ceramics course, worked under his grandfather from 2002 and under his father from 2005.

Around 2010 Shimizu became absorbed in digging local clay rather than working with prepared Kyoto ceramic materials. He built a series of small charcoal kilns from 2012, became independent in Matsugasaki in 2013 and by 2014 publicly committed to making with self-dug earth. In 2018 he re-fired the Horai climbing kiln after a twenty-two-year dormancy, moved his workplace there in 2020 and shifted his main base from Kyoto toward Shiga in 2022.

His work uses local soils, improvised kilns and place-specific firing. He has also collaborated with restaurants on table pieces, including bowls, plates, tea and sake vessels.

Practice

Digs soil in various places while making vessels and fires a climbing kiln at the workshop inherited from his grandfather. [22]

Work over time

  1. Education Graduated from the ceramics course at Kyoto Seika University. · Kyoto Seika University · Ceramics course [5, 17, 13]
  2. Apprenticeship Worked under his grandfather, the potter 清水卯一 (Shimizu Uichi). · Teacher: 清水卯一. Period: 2002. [5, 17]
  3. Apprenticeship Worked under his father, 清水保孝 (Shimizu Yasutaka). · Teacher: 清水保孝. Period: 2005. [5, 17]
  4. Practice milestone Began excavating clay himself. [5, 17]
  5. Kiln Construction Began building small charcoal kilns. [5]
  6. Studio Open Established an independent studio in Matsugasaki, Kyoto. · Matsugasaki, Kyoto, Japan [5, 17]
  7. Practice milestone Committed to making only with clay he excavated himself. [5, 17, 13]
  8. Chinese tea study Began learning Chinese tea. [25]
  9. Kiln Construction Re-lit the Horai climbing kiln after 22 years of dormancy. [5, 17]
  10. Relocation Moved his workplace to Horai. · Horai, Japan [5]
  11. Relocation Moved his base from Kyoto to Shiga Prefecture. · Shiga, Shiga Prefecture, Japan [5, 17]
  12. Collaboration Millet, a Kyoto vegetarian restaurant, held vessel-paired lunches using his ware as part of the twelve-shop mobile exhibition. [26]

Collections

  • commission — BARMANE: Custom tableware for the restaurant: soup cups, main, appetizer and bread plates, cutlery rests. [8]

Evidence and sources

References

  1. 清水志郎 八坂篠土焼締水指 — AMAHARE
  2. 清水志郎 タラオ土ふき漆茶碗 — AMAHARE
  3. 清水志郎 | note Retrieved 2026-09-28
  4. 陶芸作家・清水志郎さん｜所縁の土を掘り、形を手探り、土味を生かす | 婦人画報 Retrieved 2026-09-28
  5. 清水志郎 Shiro SHIMIZU - 一般社団法人アートパワーズジャパン Retrieved 2026-09-28
  6. Headshot source page for Shiro Shimizu Retrieved 2026-10-01
  7. Headshot image for Shiro Shimizu Retrieved 2026-10-01
  8. 清水志郎さんの器 — BARMANE
  9. 掘った土展 / Dug Earth exhibition — Nunuka life
  10. 清水志郎 展 2016 — 黒田陶苑 / Kuroda Touen
  11. Kuroda Touen 2017 archive — Shiro Shimizu kyusu exhibition trail
  12. 清水志郎 個展 －手付き－ — 黒田陶苑
  13. 清水志郎 展 2022 — 黒田陶苑 / Kuroda Touen
  14. 清水志郎 個展 — 黒田陶苑, 2024
  15. 清水志郎 個展 — 黒田陶苑, 2025
  16. 清水志郎 — gallery Ippaku
  17. 清水志郎 個展『黒』 — 壺中居 / Kochukyo
  18. 清水志郎 — 作り手と器
  19. Secret Garden Tea Set — Aman Kyoto
  20. Clay Fire Stone — Mitsui Fine Arts
  21. Shop & Gallery YDS — CREA Traveller
  22. MOSH: 清水志郎 Retrieved 2026-10-02
  23. 清水志郎 | t-gallery 作家 Retrieved 2026-10-02
  24. 【Nunuka life】清水志郎 志郎の十盌 Retrieved 2026-10-02
  25. 清水志郎（京都） - 土友８人展 Retrieved 2026-10-02
  26. Millet: 2022年3月24・25日陶芸家・清水志郎さんの器の食事会 Retrieved 2026-10-02
  27. ロクロドロドロブログ | 五条坂 清水 (Wayback copy of 2023-03-31) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  28. Potel magazine: gallery YDS relaunches as Nunuka Life (30 June 2022) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  29. Mustard-3rd: '清水志郎と12のお店' has started (web archive copy, 2022-03-19) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  30. shiro shimizu - YouTube (about) Retrieved 2026-10-02
  31. Shimizu Shiro page on the family site (web archive, 2023-03-31) Retrieved 2026-10-02