Hideo was trained as a physicist and currently teaches and conducts research as a Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University. In 2000 Hideo was named a MacArthur Fellow in recognition of the creativity of his early scientific work. He has an intense interest in ceramics and devotes a substantial fraction of his time to his studio practice and to teaching activities that integrate art and science. During the 2016-17 academic year Hideo is on sabbatical leave from his duties at Stanford and is dedicating much of this time to furthering his development as a ceramic artist.

Artist Statement

My work focuses on thrown vessels and atmospheric firings. Most pieces are wood fired in a small anagama-style kiln, in short firings that provide flashing and carbon trapping effects without heavy buildup to obscure the clay. I have also built a “kazegama” gas kiln with blown ash, which produces surfaces reminiscent of wood firing with precisely controlled reduction cooling. My primary mode of expression is form. I prefer untrimmed forms that speak to the qualities of plastic clay, and have been experimenting with elaborated surfaces that play with the flows of flame and ash in the kiln.