Futamura, who resides in Paris, invariably draws her inspiration from nature. She has created several series of work over the past decade with titles such as Racines (roots), Rhizomes, and Vagues de terre (Earthen Waves). Her sculptural forms are intended to be reflections of nature and are infused with a vibrant living essence. She uses a blend of stoneware clays and a mixture of fired and raw granulated porcelain to create her collapsed rounded forms that appear both vegetal and geological in origin. These forms are sometimes encrusted with feldspar, and enhanced with cobalt and iron oxide glazes on the interior that are sometimes iridescent.
1959 Born in Nagoya, Japan
1979 Received degree in design from the Seto Ceramic Research Center
1981 Graduated Seto Yogyō Vocational High School with a concentration in ceramics
1984-85 Taught ceramics at the Handi-craft Ceramic Center Waragoda, Sri Lanka
1986 Moved to Paris
1994 Completed degree at Centre Artisanal de Ceramique de l’Ecole Duperre
1996 Founded her atelier in Lilas, France
2004 Artist residence in Oi-cho, Fukui
2006 Lectured at the Musée Guimet, Paris
2007 Artist in residence, Fu-ping, China
2010 Established her new atelier in Paris
Awards
1996 Scholarship, Sasagawa Foundation
1998 Grant, National Bank of Denmark
2004 First Prize, Andenne international ceramic art biennial exhibition, Belgium
Solo Exhibitions
1990 Galerie Kaze, Paris, France
1991 Galerie Kouki, Paris, France (also in ‘95)
1996 Galerie Capazza, France
1997 Galerie ADAC atelier, Paris, France (also in ‘99, ‘02)
2003 Galerie 15, Lille
2005 Galerie Helene Porée, Paris, France (also in ‘07)
2006 Puls Contemporary Ceramics, Brussels, Belgium (also in ’10, ‘14)
Galerie Rutebeuf, Clichy la Garenne, France
Galerie Empreintes, Aydat, France
2009 Matière et Surface, galerie Collection, Paris
2010 Plus contemporary Ceramics, Brussels, Belgium
2011 Yoshimi Futamura – Arnold Annen, Musée Ariana, Geneva, Switzerland
Galerie Geneviève Godar, Lille, France
2012 Galerie Paris-Moskva, Sofia, Bulgaria
2013 Galerie Silbereis, Paris, France
2014 Yoshimi Futamura, Institut Bruno Lussato et Marina Fédier, Brussels, Belgium
2016 Collapse/Rebirth, Joan B Mirviss LTD, New York, NY
2017 Galerie Cipango, Paris, France
2021 Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels, Belgium
Group Exhibitions
1993 International Exhibition, Helsinki, Finland
Terre et Lumière, Galerie Kouki, Paris, France
1995 International Competition of Ceramic Art, Faenza, Italy
1996 Terres des Feux, FFJS, Paris, France
Musée du Ranquet, Clermont Ferrand
1997 Galerie Capazza, Nançy
Guest exhibitor, Salon Franco-Japonais, Vincennes, France
1998 Galerie Nørby, Copenhagen, Denmark
Le Métier et l’Esprit, OCJL, Clerment Ferrand
2000 Racines, Art dans la ville, Saint Etienne
45th Salon contemporary art in Montrouge, France
Lappenlanta K2000 pot competition, Finland
2002 Sarreguemines international ceramic art competition, France
2003 Salon des arts plastiques de Romainville
Pots grands format, Musée Regional de al Poterie Ger, La Manche
Ame, Corps, Esprite des feux RAKU, Musée de Sarreguemines
2004 Grand Prize, Ceramic Biennale Andenne, Belgium
Galerie Fusion, Toulouse, France
Terres d’Asie, Dammarie les Lys, France
Terres et Ombres, Viaduc des Arts, Paris, France
Galerie Genevieve Godar, Lille, France
Andenne international ceramic art biennial exhibition, Belgium
2005 Céramique Contemporaines, Troyes, France
Voyage d’Argile, Aubagne, France
Regards croisés sur la céramiques, Espace Culturel Bertin Poirée, Paris, France
La Boîte, SEMA, Paris
7th international ceramic competition MINO (also in ’08)
2nd international de ceramica, Ciudad de Talavera, Spain
2006 Le Lavoir, Clamart, France
Art de la céramique contemporaine, La Fontaine, Brie-Comte-Robert, France
TôJI: Avant-Garde et Tradition de la Cèramique Japonaise, Musée national de céramique Sèvres, France
Galerie Kunsthuis Ingrith Desmet, Belgium
Les activités pour les individuels, Musée Guimet, Paris, France
Kerajek, Vichte, Belgium
Biennale de Ceramique contemporaine de la ville d’Eu, France
2007 Summer Exhibition, Gallery Besson, London, United Kingdom
Rufford Craft Center, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Breaking the Mold / Kata o Yaburu: Leading Japanese Women Ceramists,
Joan B. Mirviss LTD, New York, NY
2008 Soaring Voices – Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists,
Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Musée National Céramique à Sèvres, Sèvres, France;
2008 Retour de Fuping, Galerie Collection, Paris
Isis Expo, Paris
Meister der Moderne 2008, Handwerkskammes, München, Germany
2009 Touch Fire: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists, Smith College
Museum of Art, Northampton, MA
Résonances, Musée National de Céamique à Sèvres, Paris, France
Ombres & Lumières, Galerie la Ferme de la Chapelle, Grand Lancy, Switzerland
Céramiques d’Aristes Contemporaines, Charenton-le-Pont, France
Le Westerwaldpreis 2009, Germany
5th World Ceramic Biennale 2009 South Korea, International Competition, Icheon, South Korea
2010 Le Bols, Le Lavoir, Clamart, France
1001 Bols, Musée d’Histoire de Céramique , Biote, France
Terres et Mouvement, Issis Expo, Paris
Exposition Trio de cultures céramique: Cheung, Futamura, Fabre, Galerie Sinitude, Paris, France
2010-11 One Thousand and One Cups/ Contemporary Ceramics/ Trip Around the World from India to Switzerland;
Traveling exhibition featuring the work of international clay artists with numerous destinations including Musée Ariana,
Geneva, Switzerland; Musée de l’art et de l’industrie, Roubaix, France, other museums in India, China and Korea.
2012 Japanese Ceramics from the William Bayer Collection, Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
at Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA
Art Lab, The Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables, FL
The French Connection, Joan B. Mirviss LTD, New York, NY
Perturbations: Parcours Céramique et Verre Contemporain, Musée Fabre, Montpellier, France
2013 Breaking the Mold, The Salon: Art and Design Fair with Joan B. Mirviss LTD, New York, NY
2014 Japan in Black and White: Ink and Clay, Joan B. Mirviss LTD, New York, NY
Yoshimi Futamura et Thérèse LeBrun, Puls Contemporary Ceramics, Brussels, Belgium
Points of Departure: Treasures of Japan from the Brooklyn Museum, Japan Society Gallery, New York, NY
Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection,
Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida (until 2016), Gainsville, FL
Biennale International de la Céramique, Saint-Cergue, Switzerland
IAC members exhibition, Dublin, Ireland
Création Contemporaine et mécénant, une alliance durable, Musée Ariana, Switerland
2015 Keramik – geformt und gebaut (Ceramics – shaped and built), Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany
Ancient to Modern – Japanese Contemporary Ceramics and their Sources, San
Antonio Museum of Art, Texas
Festival de Sculpture Ceramique Contemporaine, Paris, France
3 Artistes Japonais à Montigny-lès-Metz, Château de Courcelles, Montigny-lès-Metz, France
CERAMIX Bonnefantenmuseum-Maastricht
Un vent venu de l’est, Galerie du Don, le don du Fel
Corresponances, Isis Expo, Paris, France
International Ceramic Art Festival in Sasama, Shizuoka, Japan
2016 CERAMIX Cité de la Céramique-Sèvres-Maison Rouge-Paris, France
Gallery Dutko, London, U.K
Galerie Lavoir, Clamart, France
2017 Collect, Saatchi Gallery Londres, U.K.
Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier, Paris, France
Thimeless Elegance in Japanese Art, Joan Mirviss LTD, NY
De Briques… : Non Lieu, Roubaix, France
Les Jardains de Bomarzo, Espace19 rue Paul Fort, Paris, France
A l’origine, Galerie Terra Viva, St-Quentin-la-Poterie, France
De Briques, WCC-BF, Mons, Belgium,
2018 De Briques, Arkéos Musée-Parc Archéologique, Ecole d’Art de Douai
New Forms, New Voices:Japanese Ceramics from the Gitter-Yelen collection,
New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana
De Briques, Le centre de céramique de la Borne
About Clay, European Ceramic Art in Fiskars, Finland
Hands & Earth, Six Perspectives on Japanese Contemporary Ceramics, Lowe art Museum, FL, USA
Galerie Le Don du Fel, France
France Japon, Galerie Dutko, Paris, France 05/Sep-13/Oct
Japan Now: Female Masters, Gardiner Museum,Toronto, Canada 07/Sep-13/Jan
Beirut Art Fair, Gallery Pik’d, Lebanon
Asia Now, Galerie Valérie Bach, Paris
2019 GOGYÔ, The Five Elements, Joan Mirviss LTD, NY
DE BRIQUES bis, Abbeye Saint-Martin, Laon, France
VESSEL EXPLORED VESSEL TRANSFORMED, Joan Mirviss LTD, NY
JAPONISEMES, Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier, Paris
Living Clay: Artists Respond to Nature, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota, USA
Passage, Musée Munincipal de la maison Claude Debussy, Sanit Germain en Laye
Asia Now, Galerie Valérie Bach, Paris
4 céramistes, Hélène Azisa, Paris
2020 Bharat Bhavan Ceramic exhibition, Bhopal, India
Centre céramique Contemporaine de Giroussens
Hands & Earth, Katonah Museum of Arts, NY. USA
2021 Born from Fire, Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas, TX
Saint Jean des Art
Centre Céramique Contemporaine La Borne