Nakane Gaku was born in Shiga Prefecture in 1995, the son of a ceramic artist, and grew up surrounded by clay and kiln work from an early age. After graduating from the Dohda Art School in Kyoto, he continued his formal training at the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramists’ Technical Institute, completing his studies in 2016. Seeking a deeper, more traditional grounding, he then apprenticed for five years under Ichino Masahiko in Tamba, where he absorbed the rhythms of daily kiln work and developed a strong sensitivity to material and firing.
Nakane established his independent practice in 2021 and has since emerged as a distinctive voice among the younger generation of Japanese ceramic artists. His work is deeply informed by the landscapes of his upbringing and apprenticeship, drawing inspiration from weathered stones, aged wood, and objects shaped slowly by time and the elements. These influences manifest in tactile surfaces marked by subtle crackle, variation, and a quiet sense of impermanence.
Balancing function and sculptural presence, Nakane’s vessels often hover between object and natural form, blurring the boundary between something shaped by the hand and something seemingly unearthed. Through restrained forms and nuanced surfaces, his work reflects an ongoing exploration of time, erosion, and the dialogue between nature and human intervention.
