• Yuki improvises his clay shapes, guided by the emerging form
• Coarse-grained clay is his go-to material for its sturdiness during forming
• He is based in Shigaraki, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns

Yuki Ando chose to pursue ceramics after discovering how essential it is to be in direct contact with the material. With a master's degree in ceramics from the Aichi University of Education, he intuitively shapes his pieces through coil building, the process of rolling clay into rope-like strands and stacking them to form sculptural works. "Its rough, fired surface of coarse-grained clay transforms into a surprisingly soft, sponge-like quality when coloured," he says. Yuki's colourful, expressive patterns flow across the organic surfaces, seemingly wrapping around them, adding softness to the work while accentuating the form. Drawing inspiration from rock balancing and echoing natural formations such as limestone caves, his pieces ultimately reveal the alluring yet toxic, ambiguous nature of plants and living organisms.