Kunimasa Aoki b. 1963

Kunimasa Aoki (b. 1963) is a contemporary sculptor and ceramicist based out of Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture. Aoki creates large scale organic sculptures inspired by monumental forms found in nature, from termite mounds to coral. His process is based on the coil-building techniques found in ancient Jomon pottery; after stacking the coils, he allows the forces of gravity and heat to transform the sculpture’s form, embracing the cracks and distortions that appear naturally within the clay.

Outside of his art practice, Aoki works full time as a teacher at Saitama Prefectural Niiza Sogo Technical High School and a part time lecturer at Joshibi Junior College of Art and Design. In 2025, he won the grand prize in the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize. His work is in esteemed collections including the LOEWE Foundation in Spain and The Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo.