After an initial theological studies, Shinya Tanoue (b. 1976, Kyoto) approached working with clay and developed a desire to freely explore its plastic potential. He then embraced the aesthetic ideals of the Sodeisha art movement, born in Kyoto in 1948, which promotes a creativity free of rigid previous traditions.

Since 2007, Tanoue has found inspiration in the elegant shapes of shells. Using three different types of clay, he moulds the desired shape using the columbine technique and covers the works with two types of engobe. The outer surface is scored with dense grooves, while the interior is embellished with a cobalt blue glaze, evocative of the colour of the ocean, the source of life.

Shinya Tanoue’s works have received wide recognition, including prestigious awards such as the MINO International Ceramics Competition. His creations are exhibited both in Japan and abroad, in prestigious collections such as the Kyoto Museum, the Hyogo Museum of Ceramic Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.