Akihiro Maeta is one the most prestigious ceramic artists active in Japan today. He creates flowing, faceted vessel-like sculptural works solely utilising the medium of white porcelain. Awarded the coveted Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2004 and the Purple Ribbon Medal for Artistic Achievement from the Japanese Government in 2007, Maeta has his works in many leading museums and public institutions collections, including the British Museum, and presented in numerous exhibitions worldwide.

In this special talk, Maeta will reveal his sense-driven sculptural process and ethos in pursuing the pure white form in porcelain. In a discussion to follow, Maeta will be joined by Prof Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Research Director at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, and Dr Julian Stair, potter and writer, to explore what he has been trying to achieve through his ceramic art.