Artist: Masa Sasaki
Masa Sasaki, GEORGIA
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Masayuki Sasaki, is a classically trained artist, with multi-facetted interests. He is an accomplished pianist, award-winning painter and uniquely stylistic potter. Since moving from his native Japan in the late 1980s, he has impressed teachers, patrons, and his fellow artists with his unique sense of precision and artistic vision. “We live in the world where we are surrounded by machine made and mass-produced goods today. I feel, as a contemporary craftsman, the need to validate the value of handmade items by making things that could not be easily duplicated and unique to my own artistic perspective. For me it is not enough that a final piece be essentially functional and pleasant, it must also be lasting in its desirability for use. Long after I have ceased to be productive the pieces that I accomplish today should still be enjoyed, appreciated, and used. This is the elusive quality that brings value to functional art, the lasting character that transcends the artist and outlives him. Whether in my paintings, musical composition, sculpture or pottery I desire most of all that the usefulness and esthetic appeal be both easily perceived, and lasting.
Education
1996 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
Select Exhibitions
2022
“Clayfest 2022”, invitational, Saratoga Clay Arts Center, Schuylerville, NY
“Americano Invitational”, invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
”Thnaksgiving Table: The Butter Dish”, invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“Halloween Delights”, invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
“Cup: The Intimate Object XVIII” , invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery,
Gainesville, FL
“Polyphonic Conversation”, solo show, Signature Contemporary Craft, Atlanta, Ga
”Material Mug VII”, invitational, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN
“Virtual Makers Market” , Invitational, The Ceramics Congress Conference,
Australia
“Starry Night, 11th Annual Spring Auction”, Arrowmont School of Arts and
Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
“16th Yunomi Invitational”, invitational, Clay Akar, invitational, Iowa City, IA
"Featured Artist”, solo show, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IW
“New Work”, solo show, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
2021
“Clay Studio Shop Artist”, invitational, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
“Theme and Variations”, solo exhibition, Plough Gallery, Tifton, GA
“The Cup Show”, invitational, Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MA
“The Cup, The Mug 2021”, invitational, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY
“Clay to Table”, virtual event, online event, Asheville, NC
“The Big Crafty”, art fair, Asheville, NC
“New Work” , Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
“Cup The Intimate Object XVII” invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery,
Gainesville, FL
“The Functional Canvas VI”, invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery,
Gainesville, FL
“15th Yunomi Invitational”, invitational, Clay Akar, invitational, Iowa City, IA
"22nd Annual ART PAPERS Art Auction", Invitational, Atlanta, GA
“The Table”, invitational, NCECA Gallery Expo, virtual event, Signature gallery,
Atlanta, GA
“Southern Crossings Pottery Festival”, invitational, virtual event, Louisville,
KY
2020
“3rd Annual Holiday Pop-Up”, Laney Contemporary, Savannah, GA
"little Things 2020", invitational, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“8th Annual Americano Invitational”, invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“KMAC Shop Virtual Happy Hour Event” , invitational, KMAC shop (Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft), Louisville, KY
“The Cup, The Mug 2020”, juried exhibition, juror, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY
“Cup:The Intimate Object XVI”, invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
“The Alien, The Princess and The Mind”, solo exhibition, River Oaks Square Arts Center, Alexiandria, LA
"14th Yunomi Invitational", invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“The Table: Plates, Cups and Other Tableware” invitational, Signature Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“Sip: A ceramic Cup Show 2020”, juried, Savannah, GA
"21st Annual ART PAPERS Art Auction", invitational, Atlanta, GA
2019
“Handmade Now” artist spotlight, invitational, KMAC shop (Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft), Louisville, KY
“Annual Winterfest Show”, invitational, Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore, MD
“Thanksgiving Table”, invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“Good things: Come in Small Packages Exhibition”, juried, the Flower City Arts Center, Rochester, NY, juried by Renee LoPresti
“Little Things 2019”, invitational, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“Cup: the Intimate Object XV”, invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
“UnWedged”, juried, Pottery Northwest, Seattle, WA, juried by Tip Toland
“27th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National 2018”, juried, Lancaster, PA, juried by Malcolm Mobutu Smith,
“Drink 2”, juried, Silpe Gallery, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, juried by Lydia Johnson
"13th Yunomi Invitational", invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“7th Annual Cup Show”, juried, Jansen Art Center, Lynden, WA
“The Summer Swan Invitational: Southern Pottery & Homemade Objects”, invitational, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“Georgia Artist: A Juried Exhibition”, juried, Abernathy Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
“The Hudgens 3rd National Juried & Invitational Cup Exhibition", invitational, Hudgens Center for the Arts, Duluth, GA, juried by Roberto Lugo
"NCECA, Companion", Companion Gallery Collaborations, Union Project, Minneapolis, MN. (NCECA2019)
"20th Annual ART PAPERS Art Auction", Invitational, Atlanta, GA
"Art of Clay National Juried Show”, juried, North Carolina Pottery Center, Seagrove, NC juried by Douglas Fitch
“Sip: A Ceramic Cup Show”, juried, Savannah Clay Community, Savannah, GA juried by Liz Zlot Summerfield
2018
“7th Americano Invitational”, invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“Craft Forms 2018, 24th international juried exhibition of contemporary find craft” juried, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA, juried by Perry Allen Price
“The Cup, the mug 2018”, juried, Main Street Arts Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY juried by Melissa Weiss and Jenny Mendes
“26th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National 2018”, juried, Lancaster, PA, juried by Ben Carter received “Best Use of Color” award by AMACO
"2018 Shapes of Influence Biennial Ceramics Exhibition", competition, Springfield Art Association, Springfield, IL, juried by Simon Levin
“12th Yunomi Invitational”, invitational, Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
“Coffee and Clay”, invitational, Pottery Northwest, Seattle, WA
“Featured Artist”, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
“4th Annual Dirty South Cup Call & Competition”, juried, received “best in show” cash prize, Alexandria, LA juried by Sam Chung
“Ware/Wear: Cup and Earring Exhibition”, juried Pocasin Arts Gallery, Columbia, SC juried by Doug Peltzman
“Collaborative Companion”, invitational, Companion Gallery Collaborations, Union Project, Pittsburgh, PA (NCECA 2018)
“Last Call III”, juried, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN
“Small Favors”, juried, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
“Sip: A Ceramic Cup Show”, juried, Savannah, GA juried by Ben Carter
“Abernathy Annual Clay Review”, invitational, Abernathy Arts Center, Sandy Springs, GA
“Clay as Canvas”, juried, Clay Center of New Orleans, LA juried by Chandra Debuse
“Art Paper Art Auction”, invitational, Atlanta, GA
2017
“The Cup, The Mug 2017”, juried, received “Best in Show” cash prize, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY juried by Peter Pincus
“Little Things Mean A Lot”, invitational, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“Cups: The Intimate Object XIII”, invitational, Charlie Cummings Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
“Lights Out”, solo exhibition, Signature Contemporary Craft, Atlanta, GA
“First Annual Dog Eye Gallery Mug Show”, juried, Eye of the Dog Art Center, San Marcos, TX
“The Hudgens 2nd National Juried & Invitational Cup Exhibition”, Duluth, GA
“12th Annual Fired Works Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale”, Macon, GA
“TEA: The Ritual and The Art”, juried, Plough Gallery, Tifton, GA
“Last Call II”, juried, juror’s choice award, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN
“Small Favors: Think Inside the Box”, juried, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
“18th Annual Art Papers Art Auction”, invitational, Atlanta, GA
2016
“Designed and Crafted 16”, invitational, Signature Contemporary Craft + Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA
“Iron in the Fire”, juried, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN
“Beyond Cups and Bowls, a Juried Find Art Clay Competition”, juried, received “1st place” Newnan, GA
“Contemporary Southern Potter and Handmade Objects”, invitational, Swan Co Constitution, section E Living & Arts page E-14, color photo and feature article, March 15
“11th Annual Fired Works Regional Ceramics Exhibition and Sale, invitational, Macon, GA
“17th Annual Art Paper Art Auction”, invitational, Atlanta, GA
“Small Favors XI”, juried, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Related Work Experience
2022
“Lenox + The Clay Studio: Celebrating The Art of Pottery” , collaborative
project, Philadelphia, PA
“Lunch and Learn”, online conversations with ceramic artists, The Clay Studio,
Philadelphia, PA
2020
Workshop Presenter, River Oak Square Arts Center, Alexandria, LA
“The Cup, The Mug 2020”, juried the national exhibition, Main Street Arts,
Clifton Springs, NY
Publication and Press
2022
Ceramics Monthly Magazine, “Shifting Form and Holding Wonder”, Erin
Shafkind, Feburary, 2022
2019
Mug Shot, Yes Plz Weekly, Los Angels, Aug, 2019
Expoure, Images from Current and Upcoming Exhibitions. Ceramics Monthly, May, 2019
2016 “This Little Light” by Linda Jerkins, Southernfinds (online magazine”, photo and feature article, March, 2016
“Everyday Indulgences see the light in Atlanta”, by Linda Jerkins, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Section E Living & Arts page E-14, color photo and feature article, March 15
Audio Publication
2021
“Nothing Being Wasted with Masa Sasaki”, Podcast episode 65, The Brain
Fuzz Art Podcast, Joe Camoosa and Matthew White, October 16, 2021
“Masa Sasaki on Making a Living as a Potter”, Podcast episode 362, Tales of
a Red Clay Rambler, Ben Carter, Feburary 24, 2021
2019
“Being Where You Can Be Found”, Podcast episode 488, The Potters Cast,
Paul Blais, January 8, 2019
Honors/Awards
Honorable Mention and cash prize, “Unwedged 2019”, juried, Pottery
Northwest, Seattle, WA, juried by Tip Toland 2019
Judge’s Choice and cash prize, “7th Annual Cup Show”, juried, Jansen Art Center, Lynden, WA 2019
3rd Place and cash prize, “Georgia Artist: A Juried Exhibition”, juried, Abernathy Arts Center, Atlanta, GA 2019
Best Use of Color by AMACO, “26th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National 2018”, juried, Lancaster, PA, juried by Ben Carter 2018
Best in show and cash prize, "4th Annual Dirty South Cup Call and Competition", juried, Alexandria, LA juried by Sam Chung 2018
Best in show and cash prize, "The Cup, The Mug 2017", juried, Main Street Gallery, Clifton Springs, NY, juried by Peter Pincus, 2017
Juror’s choice award, "Last Call II", juried exhibition, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN 2017
Best in show and cash prize, "Beyond Cups and Bowls, a Juried Fine Art Clay Competition", Newnan, GA 2016
Publication and Press
2019
Mug Shot, Yes Plz Weekly, Los Angels, Aug, 2019
Expoure, Images from Current and Upcoming Exhibitions, Ceramics Monthly, May, 2019
2015
“This Little Light” by Linda Jerkins , Southernfinds (online magazine), photo and feature article March 16
"Everyday Indulgences see the light in Atlanta", by Linda Jerkins, Atlanta Journal Constitution, section E Living & Arts page E-14, color photo and feature article, March 15
2014
"Events, gallery shows can help you find gifts by artists, crafters" Atlanta Journal Constitution, photo and article, p. D5 November 22
“Around Atlanta” Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles magazine, design publication, color photo, pg.30, Atlanta, GA , June
“Better Mornings Atlanta 46”, TV appearance, CBS TV local art show report, Atlanta, GA
Gallery Representation
Signature Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Plough gallery, Tifton, GA
Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL
Clay Akar, Iowa City, IA
Horse and Hero, Asheville, NC
Lucy Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
KMAC (Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft), Museum shop, Louisville, KY
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Museum Store, Little Rock, AR