• Hirotake comes from a family of professional ceramicists
• His pieces are influenced by his previous career in science
• Ceramics offer him a form of self-expression

Raised in a family that founded and developed Akishino ware, Hirotake Imanishi grew up with a deep respect for Japanese craftsmanship. He trained in Shigaraki and Kutani ceramics, mastering the fundamentals of making large-scale work and glaze mixing. Before becoming a ceramic artist, Hirotake worked as a molecular biologist. Influenced by this scientific background, he combines ideas about life processes and cell structures with the philosophy of pure ceramics. His work is rooted in tradition yet guided by a modern sensibility. "My practice allows me to explore self-expression," he says. His approach led Hirotake to winning the Cup of Merit at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in Ohio, USA, in 2023.