Born in Shiga Prefecture in 1975.
Lives and works in Shigaraki.
Yuji Ueda was born into a family which cultivates Shigaraki’s famous Asamiya tea. He has been making pottery in Shigaraki, one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan; since meeting Takashi Murakami around a decade ago, he has primarily exhibited at influential galleries such as Kaikai Kiki. While Ueda’s works draw on the genealogy of traditional pottery, he attempts to foster the potential of his materials to the furthest possible extent. As a result, he creates ceramics that eschew “practicality,” functioning instead as contemporary art objet. His work is well-respected among fellow potters.