Keiji Ito

Born in 1935, Toki, Gifu Prefecture. Ito grew up in Mino that is home to a thriving ceramic industry, and whose potteries had undergone major reform in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He currently continues live and work in Mino where both his home and workshop are located.

He entered Musashino Art University in 1954, where he studied oil painting. Upon graduating university he joined the design department of the Gifu Prefectural Ceramics Research Institute, where he was greatly influenced by Sakuzo Hineno, who was a leading figure in Japan’s crafts movement.

While at first solely engaging in two-dimensional design work, he eventually also began to produce ceramics himself due to realizing the limitations of the connection between designing on a flat surface and with the actual three-dimensional works for which they were intended.

Ever since, he has produced three-dimensional forms such as “ceramic sculptures” and “installations” which from early on have combined other materials like iron.

Solo Exhibitions

2025 “Now, the Future” L gallery, Aichi, Japan

2025 ”Space and Silence“ Tomio Koyama Gallery Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan

2025 ”Earthen Figure“ Tomio Koyama Gallery Kyobashi, Tokyo, Japan

2025 “Keiji Ito” Kakiden Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2025 “Keiji Ito” MtK Contemporary Art, Kyoto, Japan

2025 “Keiji Ito: Prayer – Now, the Future” Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan

2025 “Humans and Expression” kaufmann repetto milan, Milan, Italy

2024 “Pottery Figures” Gallery NOW, Toyama, Japan

2023 “Kei” L gallery, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

2023 “Keiji Ito: Pictures and Ceramic Sculptures” Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2022 “Keiji Ito” Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2022 Kogen, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

2021 “KATACHI” L Gallery, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

2021 "The Repose of Souls: The 10th Anniversary Exhibition of 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake" Space Arte Meister, Aizu, Fukushima, Japan

2019 “Keiji Ito Ceramics Exhibition: Playing with Clay” Wako Hall, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

2017 ”Never forget memories“ Oriental Gallery, Hiroshima, Japan

2013 “Keiji Ito: Painting, Craft, Form” Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan

2012 “The Repose of Souls” Space Arte Meister, Aizu, Fukushima, Japan

2011 “Keiji Ito: The Scale of Mind” The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu / Paramita Museum, Mie, Japan

2009 “Keiji Ito: MEN”JR Nagoya Takashimaya, Iichi, Japan

2003 Gallery NOW, Toyama, Japan

2002 “Tsura, Zura” “Scale Series” Galerie Momogusa, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan

1999 “Japanese Pottery, Hiroshima Series” Gallery Momogusa, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan

1998 “1965-1998” Gallery Momogusa, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan

1995 Hetjens-Museum, Düsseldorf, Germany [Traveled to Gallery Böwing, Hannover, Germany/Musée des Arts Décoratifs de la Ville de Lausanne, Switzerland]

1993 Gallery Kawabune, Tokyo, Japan

1991 Gallery Caption, Gifu, Japan

1990 Gallery Tsubaki, Tokyo, Japan

1987 Gallery Shiro, Osaka, Japan

1976 Kasahara Gallery, Osaka, Japan

Group Exhibitions

2026 “Gallery Artists Exhibition: Tomio Koyama Gallery” CADAN Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan

2025 “100 Years of Matsuya Ginza:Connected Memories, Continuing Futures” THE GINZA LOUNGE, Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

2025 “The Seven Hands of Mino” Sogetsu Plaza, Tokyo, Japan

2025 “KEIJI ITO / SAM FALLS / ERIN FALLS / YUTAKA NOZAWA / YASUAKI HAMADA” GALERIE LULLA, Los Angeles, CA

2024 “25th Anniversary Project: Favorite Shapes” Gallery Suki, Aichi, Japan

2024 “ART in MINO 2024” Tajimi, Mizunami, Toki, Gifu, Japan

2024 “25th Anniversary Exhibition” Gallery Suki, Aichi, Japan

2024 “The beautiful, the ambiguous, and itself” kudan house, Tokyo, Japan

2023 “24th Anniversary Project: Favorite Shapes” Gallery Suki, Aichi, Japan

2023 “Keiji Ito and the artists felt his influence” RakuSui-tei Museum, Toyama, Japan

2021 “GO FOR KOUGEI” Shoukouji, Takaoka, Toyama, Japan

2021 “Kiyoyuki Kato & Keiji Ito, Masters of Talking with Soil” Kogen, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

2021 Tajimi Mosaic Tile Museum Gifu, Japan

2013 “Keiji Ito + Ryoji Koie” RakuSui-tei Museum, Toyama, Japan

2012 “The Repose of Souls” Space Arte Meister, Aizu, Fukushima, Japan

2008 “aim'08: Grow from the soil” Tajimi, Toki, Mizunami, Gifu, Japan

Public Collections

Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, Japan

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia

Everson Museum of Art, NY, United States

Gifu Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts, Japan

Gifu Prefectural Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Japan

Hessian State Museum, Kassel, Germany

Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Japan

Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum

Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, Japan

Marciano Art Foundation, LA, United States

Musée Ariana, Switzerland

Mosaic Tile Museum, Tajimi, Japan

Nanjo Art Museum, Okinawa, Japan

Paramita Museum

Rakusui-tei Art Museum

Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Japan

The Honolulu Museum of Art, HI, United States

The International Museum of Ceramics Foundation in Faenza, Italy

The Korea Ceramic Foundation, Korea

The National Crafts Museum

Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

Awards

2017 Yakushiji Temple Heisei's 83 treasures

2016 Japan Ceramic Association Gold Award

2013 Ministry of Education, Regional Cultural and Artistic Merit Award

2007 Enku Award at the Enku Grand Prize Exhibition

2006 Gifu Prefecture Art and Culture Commendation

1989 Collection of Mino ceramic works

1981 Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition, Italy

1979 `79 Japan Craft Exhibition

1978 World Craft Council - Japan Craft Competition, Art Publishing Award