MAMI KATO 加藤真美 CV

Mami Kato is known in the world of ceramics for being the first woman ever to win top prize at the 21st Mino Shouroku Tea Ceramics Awards (2014) in over two decades of its history. Born in Aichi Prefecture, she trained at the Tounomori Ceramic Art Institute in Tokoname city, a historic centre of pottery production in Japan where she has had her studio for 30 years. She currently teaches at her alma mater and the Nagoya University of the Arts, and travels frequently to hold workshops, as well as to promote ceramic art to an international audience. The recipient of several prestigious ceramics awards in China and Japan, Kato's works have been the subject of many exhibitions in Japan as well as in group exhibitions internationally, and are held in multiple public collections all over the world.

Kato's earliest memory of pottery was of following her father to various archaeological sites, digging out old pottery from the earth. It cemented her interest in ancient Tokoname potters and their work. She experimented with various techniques, and finally found self-acceptance and healing through creating utsuwa – which refers not only to making bowls, vessels or containers, but also forming the depth and capacity of its rich inner space through diving into her own unconscious, realising her own ability and calibre in the process. Today, she is known for creating quietly expressive sculptural bowls, windows that offer precious glimpses into an inner world.