An interest in ceremonial objects and spaces has been at the core of my practice for many years. By their very nature, ritualistic objects and spaces have to transcend the everyday, and I am intrigued by how they make this move into the realm of the unusual and the extraordinary.
I am particularly interested in how early man interacted with his surroundings, and the ways in which primitive cultures shared traditions across the world, and how these practices continue to shape our lives. I am attempting to capture this idea of universal similarities and primal elements that resonate with my work.
I am conscious of the repetitive action in my making, of not knowing what I am trying to achieve, teaching my muscles to move in a certain way, breathing and not breathing, but working and responding to the reality of what is happening in front of me. This is how my pieces emerge into being. Controlling the speed and time of my engagement with a piece is an important method I use in creating something that is different from a previous piece. Changing or altering the physical distance I have from a piece while I work is another way I apply some control over what happens in my studio.
Born (1980) in Osaka, Japan. Lives and works in London U.K
Education
2005 - 2007 MA, Royal College of Art
1999 - 2002 BA (Hons), University of Brighton
Summerhill school
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025 A Year in Thought, New Art Centre, Salisbury, UK
2024 Time Capsule, Yoi Kawakubo, Nao Matsunaga, Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix, London, UK
2022 Pseudo Stone Phenomenon, Komagome Soko, Tokyo, Japan
2022 Hybrid of sorts/Hybrid of thoughts, Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix, London, UK
2020 Panta Rhei to Curtis LeMay, Token Art Center, Tokyo, Japan
2020 Deepcuts, Marsden Woo, London, UK, Curated by Anthony Shaw.
2019 Gillian Ayres, Rachel Jones and Nao Matsunaga, New Art Centre, Salisbury, UK
2018 Raw Faces, Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK
2017 Blue and White, New Art Centre, Salisbury, UK
2017 Nao Matsunaga/James Rigler, Marsden Woo Gallery, London
2015 Standing On The Verge/Live Up, British Ceramics Biennial
2015 Mumbo Jumbo Kathedral, Galleri Format, Oslo, Norway
2015 Monster Rock Circle, Marsden Woo, London
2014 Live Up/Blank Totem, London Design Festival Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2013 We Are New Here, Arizona State University Museum, Combine studios, Phoenix, AZ.
2012 My Primal Memory, Daiwa Japan House, London
2012 Stones and Bones, Marsden Woo Gallery, London
2011 Introducing; Nao Matsunaga, Kerry Jameson, Dawn Youll Marsden Woo, London
2008 This Place is Made of Rocks, Konstfack, Stockholm, Sweden.
2006 Bath and Doorway, Hockney gallery. Royal College of Art, London
2002 Starecase, Mojoe. Church Street, Brighton.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Imaginary Lines, Daniel Katz gallery, London, UK. Curated by Maya Binkin
2024 Anthony Shaw collection, Oxford Ceramics, Oxford, UK
2024 Influencer, 74th Arts, Milan, Italy. Curated by Maya Binkin
2024 Artefacto デバイス, Festival Internacional Cultural, Coatepec San Jeronimo, Mexico.
2023 An eXhibition of SMALL things with BIG ideas' White Conduit Projects, London
2023 Nakanojo Biennale, Japan
2022 Folly, Dulwich college, London, UK
2022 Freedom to Create, Institute of Education, London, UK
2021 Genius Loci, Gio Ponti’s L’ange volant, Paris, France. Curated by Marion Vignal
2021 Off-Centre 29th International Symposium of Ceramics Bechyně, Czech Republic. Curated by Kristýna Péčová
2020 Backbone of Things, Te Auaha, Wellington, NZ. Curated by Glenn Barkley
2020 Nao Matsunaga, Melodie Mousset, Stereo Exchange, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019 Barefoot, Large Glass, London, U.K. Curated by Tonico Lemos Auad
2019 Winter group show, Marsden Woo, London, U.K.
2019 Korea International Ceramic Biennale 2019, Rep. of Korea
2019 Size of Thought, White Conduit Projects, Curated by Mark Dunhill and Caroline Broadhead
2019 New Sculptural Presence, Nilufar depot, Milan, Italy. Curated by Libby Sellers
2018 Things of Beauty Growing, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, U.K. Curated by Simon Olding,
Martina Droth and Glenn Adamson
2017 Museum of Together, Spiral Building, Tokyo, Japan, Curated by Roger McDonald, Yuko Shiomi
2017 Things of Beauty Growing, Yale Centre for British Art, Curated by Simon Olding, Martina Droth and Glenn Adamson
2017 Art Brussels 2017, showing with New Art Centre, Salisbury
2017 Material Earth, Messums Wiltshire
2016 Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
2016 Material Language, New Work in Clay, New Art Centre, U.K. Curated by Sarah Griffin, Alun Graves
2016 Timepiece, Brian Illsley and Company Limited, Marsden Woo Gallery, London
2016 Cry Violet, Contemporary London
2016 Best of British, Mansfield Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2014 Selected by… Limoncello, London
2014 Ceramic Object, Galleri Format, Oslo, Norway
2014 Mixed Display, Marsden Woo Gallery, London
2013 Award Show, British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke-on-Trent, UK
2013 Sculptural Ceramics, Pangolin, London
2012 Jerwood Makers Open 2012, Jerwood space, London (Cat) Touring show
2011 Modern Languages, Galway city museum, Ireland (Cat)
2011 Modern Languages, National craft gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland
2011 British ceramic Biannual, Stoke-on-Trent.
2011 Gallery artists show, Marsden Woo, London
2010 Collect, Saatchi Gallery, London.
2010 Studio, Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales. (Cat)
2010 Group show, Marsden Woo Gallery, London.
2009 Diversions, Glyn Vivian Gallery, Swansea. Wales.
2009 Group show, Barret Marsden Gallery, London.
2007 Great exhibition, Royal College of art, London
2007 Seduce/expand/convert, Turf Gallery, London
2006 In site, Royal College of art, London
2006 Arete, Madam Lillies, London
Public Collection
Victoria and Albert Museum, UK
York Museum and Art Gallery, UK
Shipley Art Gallery, UK
Brighton and Hove Museum, UK
Awards, Scholarships
2023 Grant, Nomura Zaidan, Japan
2023 Small grant, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, London
2022 Grant, Nomura Zaidan, Japan
2021 Small grant, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, London
2021 Small grant, Daiwa Japan Foundation, London
2016 Bursary, British Council, Indonesia
2016 Bursary, Japan Foundation, Indonesia
2015 Bursary, Art Council of Norway
2013 Winner, British Ceramics Biannual Award
2013 Windgate fellowship for ASU residency
2012 Winner, Jerwood Makers Open 2012.
2010 Shortlisted, Arts foundation fellowship for Ceramics.
2010 Bursary, Cove Park, Scotland
2008 Bursary, Anglo Sweden society
2007 Maintenance Grant, Leverhume trust
Artist in residence
2024 Nueva Creta, Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico.
2023 Xenia creative retreat, UK
2023 Nakanojo Biennale, Gunma, Japan
2022 Shigaraki Ceramic Culture Park, Japan
2021 LaunchPad LaB, France
2021 29th International Symposium of Ceramics Bechyně, Czech Republic.
2016 JCCB 4, Arskala Principle Studio, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2015 National Academy of Art Oslo, Norway
2014 Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
2014 Cranbrook Academy of Arts, MI, USA
2013 ASU Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ, USA
2010 Cove Park, Scotland. (Invited Artist)
2008 Konstfack, Stockholm, Sweden
Publications
2024 Seeing with another eye, The Anthony Shaw collection. Arnoldsche
2022 Contemporary British Ceramics, Crowood Press, Ashley Thorpe
2017 Things of Beauty Growing, Yale University Press
2011 The Pot book, Edmund de Waal, Phaidon
2011 Ceramic bible, Louisa Taylor, Rotovision
2011 Museums journal
2011 Modern Languages catalogue
2010 Studio catalogue
Educational experiences
2024 Visiting lecturer, State university of Veracruz, Mexico
2016 Visiting lecturer, National Academy of Art, Oslo
2016 Visiting lecturer, University of Brighton, UK
2016 Visiting lecturer, Cranbrook Academy of Art, MI, USA
2015 Visiting lecturer, Bath Spa School of Art and Design,
2015 Visiting lecturer, National Academy of Art, Oslo
2015- Visiting lecturer, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2014- Visiting lecturer, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2014 Visiting lecturer, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA
2014 Visiting lecturer, Colorado State University, CO, USA
2014 Visiting lecturer, School of Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA
2014 Visiting lecturer, Cranbrook Academy of Art, MI, USA
2013 Visiting lecturer, Arizona State University, USA
2010- Visiting lecturer, University for Creative Arts, Surrey
2009-2011, Ceramics teacher, Work Skills and Learning, London
2008 ReachoutRCA, visiting lecturer at Conel college, Londons
Scale is an illusion. Photo; Nao Matsunaga