Special exhibition at the Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park From Conversation with the Flame: My Natural Glaze - Kiyoko Kamiyama Exhibition" at the Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park from June 13, 2012 The exhibition traces Kiyoko Kamiyama's half-century of pottery making as a pioneer of Shigaraki's female ceramic artists.

The Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park Ceramic Museum will hold a special exhibition, "My Natural Glaze from Dialogue with the Flame - Kiyoko Kamiyama" from June 13, 2026 (Sat).

Photo: Top: Ceramic painting by Kiyoko Kamiyama, 2019/2026 (Photo: ROOF design office) ・Bottom: Kiyoko Kamiyama, "Shigaraki Luster Porcelain Four-way Water Jar," 2005/Heisei 17 (Photo: Kensei Sugimoto), Collection of The Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park, Shiga, Japan

Exhibition Outline

Kiyoko Kamiyama (1936-2023) is known as a pioneer of Shigaraki female potters.

Her career began in 1953 when she joined a pottery company and began painting pottery. She showed her talent by painting hibachi (brazier) pots, but left the company when the popularity of oil stoves led to a decline in the number of hibachi pots. He studied under Sakuzo Hineno, who taught craft design in Shigaraki, and Kazuo Yagi and Junkichi Kumakura in modeling.

Kiyoko Kamiyama, who began firing in a wood-fired kiln after an encounter with old Shigaraki ceramic pieces, worked energetically from 1970 until her later years, exploring the beauty of unique natural glazes, including the creation of luster brilliance in a wood-fired kiln. She also expanded her style through various encounters and exchanges abroad, such as making ceramics in Korea and traveling around the world.

Kiyoko Kamiyama's ceramics, created over the course of half a century through trial and error, are a reflection of Shigaraki, a ceramic production center that has faced the times and overcome various difficulties. This exhibition traces the life of Kiyoko Kamiyama, who lived on with determination to create "natural glazes that will remain in people's hearts forever.

Basic Information

Dates: Saturday, June 13, 2026 - Sunday, August 30, 2026

　　　　Closed on Monday, July 20 (national holiday) and Tuesday, July 21 (substitute closing)

Venue: The Ceramic Museum, Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park

Admission: General admission: 1,100 yen (880 yen), University students: 880 yen (700 yen), Free for high school students and younger

　　　　Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more.

Sponsor ：Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park

Supported by: Shiga Prefectural Board of Education, Koka City, Kyoto Shimbun

Cooperation ：Kyocera Corporation

Supported by: Japan Arts Fund

Access】Train ：Travel from "JR Kusatsu Station" to "Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park

Train: Take the Kusatsu Line at JR Kusatsu Station and get off at Kisogawa Station,

　　　　　　　Transfer to Shigaraki Kogen Railway and get off at "Shigaraki Station". 20 minutes on foot (about 75 minutes).

Bus: From Shigaraki Station on the Shigaraki Kogen Railway, take the Koka City Community Bus to "Toki no Mori-mae" or "Toki no Mori (Ceramic Cultural Park)".

　　　　　　　or "Toki no Mori (in front of the pottery museum)" bus stop (about 5 minutes)

By Car: 8 minutes from the Shigaraki Interchange on the Shin-Meishin Expressway

Parking (free): Approx. 250 standard-sized cars, 10 large buses

Exhibition Structure

Each chapter will introduce approximately 120 works by Kiyoko Kamiyama and other related designers, artists, and ceramicists, as well as photographs and other related materials.

Prologue Shigaraki

Chapter 1: The Hibachi Era: The Road to Pottery Making, Starting Out as a Painter (1950s)

Chapter 2 Craft Design: New Trends Emerging in Shigaraki (1960s)

Chapter 3: Aiming for Natural Glazes that Remain in the Heart (1970s onward)

Chapter 4 My Natural Glazes - Luster of Miraculous Brilliance

Chapter 5: Traveling Around the World: Activities and Encounters Abroad

　　　 (Messages from overseas artists and potters with whom I have interacted)

Chapter 1: The Hibachi Era: The Road to Pottery Making, Starting Out as a Painter (1950s)

Omi Kagaku Toki Co., Ltd. (artist: Kaneaki Nakajima), "Tegoro" with bamboo grass design on white ground, 1953-1957

Chapter 2 Craft Design: New Trends Emerging in Shigaraki (1960s)

Kiyoko Kamiyama "Shigaraki small pattern plate" Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum, 1965

Kiyoko Kamiyama "Shigaraki woven plate" Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum, 1965

Chapter 3: Aiming for Memorable Natural Glazes (1970s onward)

Kiyoko Kamiyama "Shigaraki Large Cylinder" Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum, 1972 (Photo: Kensei Sugimoto)

Kiyoko Kamiyama "Shigaraki natural glaze gong bowl" 1980/1980 Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum (Photo: Sugimoto Kensei)

Shigaraki Natural Glaze Large Jar with Hinokigaki Design Heisei 12-21/2000s, Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum (Photo: Yuji Imamura)

Kiyoko Kamiyama "Shigaraki Shinogi Jar" 1985 / Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum (Photo: Sugimoto Kensei)

Shigaraki natural glaze flower vase, Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum, 1991 (Photo by Yuji Imamura)

Chapter 4: My Natural Glaze - Luster of Miraculous Brilliance

Kiyoko Kamiyama, "Shigaraki Natural Glaze Luster Tokkuri and Teacup," Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Museum, 1980

Chapter 5: Travels Around the World: Activities and Encounters Abroad

　　　　 (Messages from overseas artists and potters with whom I have interacted)

Egypt Left: Small jar with ears / Middle: Lighting fixture / Right: Doll candlestick, Koka City

Mexico, wide-mouthed jar, Koka City

Delft, Holland Small decorative jar with design of flowers and grasses in overglaze enamels Koka City

Related Events

(1)Gallery Talk [no application required, admission ticket required

Date: July 19 (Sun), August 9 (Sun), and August 23 (Sun), 2026

　　　From 1:30 p.m. on each day (about 40 minutes)

(2) - Kiyoko-san who said she wants to convey the charm of soil to children

Tsuchitsuko Program Special Lecture [advance registration, first-come-first-served basis, fee required].

a. Challenge to design crafts in Kiyoko Kamiyama's style

Let's make a "dango plate"!

Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026, 10:00 - 12:00 / Instructor: Aika Tsumori

Let's make "Flower Vase"!

Date : August 2, 2026 (Sun) 10:00 - 12:00 / Lecturer : Tetsuya Tanaka

Venue: Shigaraki Industrial Exhibition Hall

Fee: 3,000 yen

Capacity: 20 people (first-come-first-served basis)

Application: E-mail_t-oubo@sccp.jp

Both days

b. Playing with Nendo! Let's do Nendo-gymnastics and make a clay surface!

～Research project with Osaka Public University: Verification of children's physical activity and artistry

Date: Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26, 2026 *Morning and afternoon on both days

Venue: Shigaraki Industrial Exhibition Hall

Participation fee: 500 yen

Application: E-mail_t-oubo@sccp.jp

(3) "Reminiscence of Kiyoko Kamiyama, Pottery Artist" (free of charge)

The eldest daughter, Kumiko Ishikawa, will join the museum's director, Toshio Matsui, in reminiscing about Kiyoko Kamiyama and looking back on her life.

Date ： July 18, 2026 (Sat), from 14:00

Venue: Shigaraki Hall, Shigaraki Industrial Exhibition Hall (in the Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park)

Admission: Free

Application: E-mail_gakugei@sccp.jp

(4) Gallery Project [Free Admission] (4) Gallery Project

a. The Ceramic Museum, Masterpiece Selection Exhibition IV/V

Dates: June 13, 2026 (Sat) - July 5, 2026 (Sun) *Exhibition will be changed from June 23 to 26.

b. Summer vacation project: "Children's Clay Art Exhibition

Dates: July 18 (Sat) - August 30 (Sun), 2026

(5)Museum store "6sense

"Feature Corner: Kiyoko's Vessels".

*A portion of the proceeds will support children's pottery experience.