Shoji hAMADA

Shoji Hamada was born in Tokyo in 1894. He study ceramics at Tokyo Technical College. In 1918 he met Bernard Leach.

In 1920 Hamada came to England and helped Leach build the climbing kiln for the St Ives Pottery. He exhibited at the Paterson's Gallery in London in 1923, and then toured Europe and returned to Japan. He was declared by the Japanese government a 'national living treasure' He is seen with Leach to be one of the most influential masters of studio pottery.  He died in 1978