For me, white porcelain is not just about forms or tone of the glaze: maybe I can say it is something like "truth." I have the desire to know the truth. Maybe that does not exist in this world, but I am a kind of person that wishes for something like that. Maybe I am thinking that I would like to know the truth through producing white porcelain. Or maybe I am believing that white porcelain itself is the truth. So I am thinking that white porcelain must be the object that is able to express the truth. It is hard to explain, but my aim is to replace these thoughts with white porcelain, as people in this world cannot comprehend our messages unless we embody them into forms. I feel like I am producing words through a motif called "vessel." -Taizo Kuroda
Chronology
| 1946 | January 1-Born in Notogawa-cho(present-day Higashiomi-shi),Siga Prefecture. |
|---|---|
| 1966 | Traveled to France. In Paris, he met Shimaoka Tatsuzo (potter, 1919-2007). |
| 1967 |
May – Moved to North Hatley, Quebec, Canada. Began to work under Gaetan Beaudin (1924-2002), professor of Penland School of Crafts in Montreal. |
| 1970 |
First return to Japan. Studied ceramics under Shimaoka Tatsuzo in Mashiko-machi, Tochigi Prefecture for approximately 6 months. Met Shimaoka’s master Hamada Shoji (potter,1894-1978). |
| 1971 | December – Returned to Canada. |
| 1973 | February – Second return to Japan. Studied ceramics once again under Shimaoka Tatsuzo. |
| 1974 | December – Returned to Canada. |
| 1975 | Began working for SIAL, a ceramic manufactory where Beaudin was one of the founders. |
| 1978 | Left SIAL and built a kiln in Saint-Gabriel, Quebec. Began to produce porcelain with polychrome decoration. |
| 1980 | Returned to Japan. |
| 1981 | Built a kiln in Matsuzaki-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture. |
| 1984 | Began to run a direct sales shop “Ceramic Studio TAIZO” in PARCO Part III, a department store in Shibuya, Tokyo (until 1987). |
| 1987 | Met Hiroshi Toda |
| 1988 | Traveled to New York. |
| 1991 |
Built a kiln in Futo, Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Began to produce white porcelain under the rules he stated: “A monochrome vessel, formed by throwing.” |
| 1992 | Showed his white porcelain works to the public for the first time. |
| 1997 | Met Tadao Ando. |
| 2001 | A collection of his works White Porcelain was published by Amus Art Press. |
| 2005 | Met Kazuhito Yoshii, introduced by Tadao Ando. |
| 2009 | A collection of his works Taizo Kuroda was published by Prestel. |
| 2016 | Built a studio. |
| 2019 | Established a gallery for his works on a property next to his studio. Designed and constructed by Tadao Ando. |
| 2021 | April 13 – Died at Shizuoka Hospital in Japan. |
Selected Exhibition History
Château La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade,
Taizo Kuroda, Céramiques,
June 8 – August 13, 2019
Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka,
Taizo Kuroda,
November 21, 2020 – July 25, 2021
Yoshii Gallery New York ,Design Miami/Basel,
Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain,
Yoshii Gallery New York June 2 – June 5, 2008
Vanghi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka,
Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain,
January 12 – April 9, 2019
Yoshii Gallery, New York,
Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain – Cylinders,
April 27 – June 30, 2017
J.M.WESTON Aoyama, Tokyo,
Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain,
October 2020
Yoshii Gallery, New York,
Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain – Meiping,
May 2 – June 22, 2019
ADAA:The Art Show by Yoshii Gallery
Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain,
November 2023
| 1982 | January | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Savoir Vivre (Tokyo) |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | June | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Hankyu Umeda Main Store Art Gallery (Osaka) |
| 1985 | August | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Seibu Ikebukuro Art Gallery (Tokyo) |
| 1990 | April | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Amano Gallery (Osaka) |
| 1992 | November | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at TOUKYO(Tokyo). First exhibition of white porcelain |
| 1998 | June | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Art Choice Gallery (Tokyo) |
| 2000 | June | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” Takashimaya Nihonbashi Store Art Gallery (Tokyo) |
| September | “Utsawa: Thoughts on Contemporary Vessels” at Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. | |
| 2001 | October | “Taizo Kuroda Tea Ceramics” at Tanimatsuya Toda Gallery (Osaka) |
| 2002 | April |
“Contemporary Japanese Ceramics: Admired Traditions, New Messages” at Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo |
| May | “Taizo Kuroda” at Tong-in Gallery (Seoul) | |
| 2003 | May | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Takashimaya Osaka Store Art Gallery (Osaka) |
| 2004 | June |
“Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Takashimaya Nihonbashi Store Art Gallery (Tokyo) “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain” at Handmade (Basel, Switzerland) |
| 2005 | April | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Takashimaya Yokohama Store Art Gallery (Kanagawa) |
| 2006 | August | “Contemporary Ceramics for the Tea Ceremony” at Musée Tomo (Tokyo, Japan) |
| December | “Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain, Design Miami 2006” by Yoshii Gallery, New York, at Design Miami/Basel (Miami) | |
| 2007 | May | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” Takashimaya Shinjuku Store Art Gallery(Tokyo) |
| 2008 | June | “Tazio Kuroda: White Porcelain, Design Miami/Basel 2008” by Yoshii Gallery, New York, at Design Miami/Basel (Basel) |
| November | “Taizo Kuroda White Form” at Yoshii Gallery, New York, at Ryogotei (Tokyo) | |
| 2010 | November | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain” at Galerie Yoshii (Tokyo) |
| 2012 | April | “The Elegance of Memory: Craft Arts in Modern Japan”at the Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina (Florence, Italy). |
| September | “New Footing: eleven approaches to contemporary crafts” at the Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo | |
| 2013 | April | “Taizo Kuroda Ceramics” at Tanimatsuya Toda Gallery (Osaka) |
| June | “Taizo Kuroda” at Kaikai Kiki Gallery (Tokyo) with Tanimatsuya Toda Gallery | |
| September | “Gendai no meiman” [Contemporary exquisite tea bowls] at Musée Tomo (Tokyo) | |
| 2014 | October | “Taizo Kuroda One Man Show” at Wasalaby (Tokyo) |
| 2015 | April | “Simple Forms: Contemplating Beauty” at the Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan, joint exhibition with the Centre Pompidou Metz and Foundation d’entreprise Hermès). |
| September | “Taizo Kuroda” at Yu-un (Tokyo) | |
| 2016 | September | “Craft arts: innovation of ‘tradition and avant-garde,’ and the present day” held at the Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo |
| 2017 | April | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain – Cylinders” at Yoshii Gallery (New York) |
| September | Works displayed in the “Fine Arts Asia 2017" held in Hong Kong,Taiwan and Kyoto | |
| 2018 | April | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain” at Shibunkaku (Kyoto) |
| 2019 | Jan | “Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain” held at the Vanghi Sculpture Garden Museum (Shizuoka) |
| May | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain - Meiping” Yoshii Gallery (New York). | |
| June | “Taizo Kuroda” at Renzo Piano Art Gallery in Château de la Coste (Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France), exhibit planning by Yoshii Gallery, New York | |
| 2020 | October | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain” at J.M.WESTON Aoyama (Tokyo) |
| November | “Kuroda Taizo” held at The Museum of Oriental Ceramics (Osaka) | |
| 2021 | May | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain WARE-DAIZARA” Yoshii Gallery (New York) |
| August | Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art (Tochigi) | |
| 2022 | April | “Taizo Kuroda White Porcelain” at Galerie Yoshii (Tokyo) |
| 2023 | November | “Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain” at ADAA: The Art Show / Booth D24 by Yoshii Gallery (New York) |
And numerous others at galleries including Gallery Now (Toyama),.
Shibuya Kurodatoen (Tokyo), Akamanma (Gunma), Eric Zetterquist Galleries (New York), and Tristan Hoare (London).
Museum and Public Collections
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka (Osaka, Japan)
Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art (Tochigi, Japan)
Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum (Shizuoka, Japan)
Rakusui-tei Museum of Art (Toyama, Japan)
Yakushiji Temple (Nara, Japan)
Cleveland Museum of Art (Ohio, U.S.A.)
Brooklyn Museum of Art (New York, U.S.A.)
Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation (New York, U.S.A.)
Dia Beacon (New York, U.S.A.)
Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minnesota, U.S.A.)
Victoria and Albert Museum (London, U.K.)
Chateau La Coste (Aix-en-Provence, France)
