Error message

  • Notice: Undefined index: und in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Warning: Use of undefined constant sidebar - assumed 'sidebar' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined index: und in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Warning: Use of undefined constant sidebar - assumed 'sidebar' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in eval() (line 8 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined index: und in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Warning: Use of undefined constant bottom - assumed 'bottom' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in eval() (line 6 of /home/u0kg4n9w5x3b/public_html/studiopotter.org/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).

Remembering Akio Takamori

SP Staff
Apr 5, 2017

AkioTakamoriEarly in January 2017, beloved and influential artist Akio Takamori died. He was only 66. Just after his death, The Seattle Times ran this obituary, which was reposted with more images and info about his life on cfile.daily. In the December 1992 issue of Studio Potter, Akio wrote "Out of the Cage," an autobiographical article about his early life and about the beginning of his career at the Kansas City Art Institute:

I had gone through the age in which children don’t trust their parents’ judgement or are not satisfied with it any longer.

At that point, I needed guidance from somebody else like a teacher or a classmate. Meanwhile I lost contact with what I used to be as a child. I had been molded by all those years of restriction, judgements and a value system which formed me as a young man.

Ken Ferguson looked over my shoulder at my tiny pieces and told me, 'They are very nice. Make lots of them." It was like magic. The cage built around me disappeared. I can't explain how much that remark meant to me at that moment. I felt as if I had finally rediscovered something that was truly mine, and it was okay to make it.

Learn more about Akio Takamori's work on his websiteStudio Potter thanks Dennis Trombatore for his support in memory of Akio Takamori.  Learn more about supporting our efforts to develop and improve access to archive articles here

Recent News

Mar 1, 2024

Amid darkness and death and the worst things human beings can do to each other, ceramists can also see the light, cultivate the beauty, and feel the wonder and majesty of humanity. We can experience two truths. The stoic philosopher Epictetus would say “Everything has two handles, the... Read More

Share Share
Feb 1, 2024

This is going to be an uncomfortable conversation.

It seems that humans are wired to seek certainty; to identify stable ground and stake a claim; to be unified and in accord. Although we are hard-wired... Read More

Share Share
Jan 1, 2024

Happy New Year!

As we close out a momentous year and look ahead to the next, it’s good to consider how important we are to each other and how giving can mean much more than receiving.

Studio Potter is a non-... Read More

Share Share