Taeko Aoki Imari/Arita Ware／Saga Prefecture
Biography
1950 Born as the eldest daughter of Tameo Kawazoe, the potter of Torasen Kiln.
1969 Graduated from Imari High School in Saga Prefecture and joined Torasen Kiln.
Married in 1975 and became a mother of a son and a daughter.
1991 Certified as a traditional Imari/Arita ware craftsman (underglaze painting)
1998 Passed the first class underglaze enameling technician certification
Passed the certification as a vocational training instructor in 1999.
Vice President of the Women's Division of the National Association of Traditional Artisans from 2000 to 2007
Passed the certification of first-class underglaze painting technician in 2002
Certified as a traditional craftsman of Imari and Arita ware (overglaze painting) in 2007.
2010-2013 Lecturer of Painting at Arita Ceramic College
Vice President of the Association of Traditional Craftsmen of Imari-Arita Ware, 2015
Certified as "Monozukuri Meister" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
Awards
1998 Selected for the 1st Japan Traditional Art Craftsmen's Association Exhibition
2000 Selected for the 3rd Japan Traditional Art Craftsmen's Association Exhibition
2001 Selected for the 4th Japan Traditional Art Craftsmen's Association Exhibition
Selected, The 5th Exhibition of Japan Traditional Art Craftsmen's Association, 2002
Selected, 6th Japan Traditional Art Craftsmen's Association Exhibition, 2003
2006 Awarded the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for Distinguished Service to the Traditional High-Grade Crafts Industry
Awarded the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry Director-General's Award in 2009
Awarded by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2008
Profile
What inspired you to get into this work?
My father was in the pottery business, so I entered this business to help him until I got married. As I got better at painting, customers were happy to buy my work, and I began to enjoy it so much that I decided I really wanted to do this job.
What do you want to appeal the most in your work?
I paint many Nabeshima designs, but I love the cherry tree design. I also like lotus flowers when they bloom from buds, and sometimes I make drawings of them.
What do you keep in mind when creating your work?
Sometimes I make sketches of them.
I try to make sketches to satisfy them and to make them happy.
What do you want to achieve from now on? Or how do you want to live?
Now that I am 70 years old, I would like to create my own unique pieces while preserving the tradition of Nabeshima ware.