Ishida Kazuya, 'Kaz', to his very many friends, was born in 1986 into a family of potters in Bizen, Okayama, Japan. He is the son of Bizen Ceramic Artist, Ishida Yasuhiro. Bizen is one of the six ‘ancient kilns’ and is famous for its traditional unglazed, high temperature-fired, Bizen-style pottery. Having been brought up with clay and the Bizen tradition it was almost inevitable that Kazuya would follow in his father's footsteps.
A graduate from the Kyoto Pottery University in 2007, Kazuya went on to study under National Living Treasure, Jun Isezaki for four years. In 2011, he made the first of what would be many trips to the UK to work at Kigbeare Pottery in Devon. Since then he has worked at Whichford Pottery and been involved in the set up of the Oxford University Anagama project at Wytham Woods. He also has his own studio in Bizen.
Awards
2010 Award winning for National Cultural Art Exhibition
2015 Award winning for Japan Traditional Art Craft Exhibition
2017 Award winning for Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition
2019 Award winning for Okayama Award
2019 Award winning for Toshinkai Exhibition
