Shion Tabata (b. 1947) is a virtuoso ceramicist with a deep connection to the antiques of the Edo period. As an antiques dealer at Osaka’s Tanimatsuya Toda Shoten in 1985, Tabata encountered leading works of the period, including the Rinpa style of Ōgata Korin and Ōgata Kenzan, which continues to influence her creative practice. Tabata draws on her deep knowledge of Japanese antiques to revive a variety of classical styles that previously were noticeably missing from the world of contemporary Japanese art.
1947 Born in Fukuoka, Japan
1985 Worked for a tea ceremony utensil merchant.
1991 Entered the world of pottery making and studied under Sadamitsu Sugimoto
1992 Built a kiln in Kita-ku, Kobe
2004 Moved to Karuizawa and opened Shion Kiln
Public Collection
Sun Gallery Sumie (Naka Ward, Nagoya)
Hatoya (Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
Nomura Museum of Art (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto)
Torifuku (Minato Ward , Tokyo)
Gallery Hyakuke (Hyogo Prefecture)
Gallery Dojima (Osaka Prefecture)
Salon Hashimaya (Okayama Prefecture)
Ebiya Art Store (Tokyo)
Art Salon Cocado (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
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Magic of the Tea Bowl
Volume 3 8 Jun - 31 Jul 2023Magic of the Tea Bowl (Vol.3) June 2023 The Japanese tea ceremony was first established during the sixteenth century and has continued to flourish to the present day. Closely tied...Read more -
Extreme Surfaces: Cutting Edge Kogei
Ippodo Gallery's Premiere at Design Miami 2022 + New Year Exhibition 30 Nov 2022 - 16 Feb 2023Ippodo Galleryis a pioneering kogei -focused gallery based in Tokyo and New York. Our mission is to honor the living tradition of Japanese fine art in the contemporary world by...Read more
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TEFAF Maastricht 2026
14 - 19 Mar 2026FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Authentic Colors of Japan MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS – Ippodo Gallery is pleased to announce its debut participation in TEFAF Maastricht 2026, presenting a landmark exhibition titled Authentic Colors of Japan at Booth 476. From March 14 to March 19, the exhibition will feature masterful objects by 20 of Japan’s most distinguished contemporary artists. Their creations evoke vivid pigments sourced from nature and explore the primal power of color through the nation’s rarest traditional materials. This showcase of authentic Japanese colors offers visitors an encounter with a spectrum of mediums: the deep reds of vermillion lacquer, the luminescence of Gofun white from oyster shells, the brilliance of gold and silver leaf, and the depth of indigo blue. The exhibition highlights how ancient techniques are being radically recontextualized for global contemporary audiences: cutting edge mother-of-pearl inlays are naturally luminescent like digital screens; revolutionary silk Obi belts woven with opal incorporate the thousand-year history of Japanese weaving with new understanding of minerals; and masterworks in bamboo, Nihonga painting, and clay are grounded in the earthy, tactile aesthetics of the Japanese landscape. "To witness these artworks is to see the 'colors' of Japan not as mere pigments, but as living history," says Shoko Aono, the director of Ippodo Gallery. "In presenting pieces by these 20 esteemed artists in Maastricht, we are showcasing a mastery that is at once ancient and avant-garde." Exhibiting artists: Shin Fujihira, Shihoko Fukumoto, Kondaya Genbey, Yuki Hayama, Hideaki Honma, Terumasa Ikeda, Manji Inoue, Hajime and Yasuo Ishikura, Hiromi Itabashi, Yukiya Izumita, KAKU, Sho Kishino, Hirotomi Maeda, Masaaki Miyasako, Jihei Murase, Daisuke Nakano, Junko Narita, Reiji Omori, Hiraku Sudo, Shion Tabata, and Sōyō and Shōdo Yamagishi.Read more -
Opening Reception - June 13, 6-8 PM
Magic of the Tea Bowl Vol.3 13 Jun 2023Please join us on Tuesday, June 13th, from 6 PM to 8 PM EST at Ippodo Gallery (32 E 67th Street, New York, 10065). Ippodo...Read more -
Design Miami 2022
Extreme Surfaces: Cutting Edge Kogei 30 Nov - 4 Dec 2022Design Miami 2022Read more
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Studio Visit: Shion Tabata (Part II)
Magic of the Tea Bowl Volume III June 22, 2023From her breathtaking studio in Karuizawa, Shion Tabata provided insights into her ceramic practice. She has yielded a number of tea bowls that draw upon...Read more -
Visiting a Master of Imitation in the Mountains of Karuizawa
The Ceramics of Shion Tabata January 25, 2023Ippodo Gallery is continually building new relationships with artists across Japan who work in traditional materials and methods. The gallery’s mission is to preserve and...Read more