Akiyama Yo‘s major concerns revolve around the physical properties of clay as a material and his exploration, through the manipulation of his medium, of the tension between surface and form, between the ordered and the organic. This direct relationship with his materials and commitment to experimentation and reinvention has made Akiyama one of Japan’s most important contemporary sculptors. Currently, he serves as the chairman of the ceramics department at Kyoto City University of Arts.
