Satoru Hoshino

Satoru Hoshino (b. 1945) is a Japanese ceramic artist widely recognized for his innovative and organic approach to clay. Originally from Kyoto, Hoshino was a member of the avant-garde group Sodeisha, one of the most influential postwar ceramic collectives in Japan. His work moves beyond the vessel tradition, positioning ceramics firmly within the realm of contemporary sculpture.

After a landslide in 1979 destroyed his studio and much of his earlier work, Hoshino radically shifted his practice. Rather than using the potter’s wheel, he began forming clay directly with his hands, pressing, squeezing, and building in a process he described as a dialogue with earth itself. This tactile, bodily engagement became his signature, giving rise to powerful abstract forms that emphasize the materiality and vitality of clay.

Hoshino has exhibited extensively both in Japan and internationally, and his works are included in major public collections such as the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Critics often highlight how his sculptures embody an elemental energy—bridging tradition, nature, and modern sculptural sensibilities.