Konno Tomoko lives in the ancient pottery town of Tokoname while maintaining a studio in Bali, Indonesia. In her Bali workshop, there are forms resembling exotic plants or sea creatures made in colored porcelain that she exhibits in her installation shows. Konno says that she wishes to express the power of living things and that her ideas “just seem to materialize from nowhere.” Konno is one of the prominent new generation of female ceramicists working in Japan today.

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            The distinct features in her work are the fresh colors, meticulous detailing, and the dynamic flow created with the nerikomi technique. Konno is partial to the nerikomi technique, which she feels is akin to painting with clay in which the medium itself becomes an instrument for painting. The artist prefers this technique to using brushes for embellishing surfaces, feeling that the lines created by nerikomi are more natural and allow Konno to express her energy and zest for life.

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            Konno has won prestigious awards in recent years such as first-prize in the 30th Tokoname Chōza Award and a bronze award at the 9th International Ceramics Competition in Mino, both in 2011. Her work was also selected in 2013 for the 58th Premio Faenza in Italy.