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Hi. My name is Yuichiro Roy Mafune. I was born and raised in Fukuoka, Kapan until I was fourteen. In 1990, I started working in ceramics at my high school; expression through clay began to fascinate me. In a few years, I was working with clay everyday. There are endless possibilities and the challenge of being able to "throw well" — got me hooked on the wheel.

All of my pieces are wheel thrown and fired up to cone 10 (2318º F). The clay body used is porcelain. Mostly, four glazes are used for my pieces, and three of them are classic Japanese glazes that lend an authentic finish to my work — that remind me of my culture. Since I grew up in Japan and have spent the other half of my life in California, it is important to create something that reminds me of both places.

The ecology of nature and its life cycles influence my work. I grew up playing outdoors and continue to enjoy the world of nature. Its beauty and elegance have always fascinated me, at the same time I have seen its powerful and disastrous potential. The earth is awesome! From this, I create the shapes and lines that my work expresses as "inner beauty".

I believe we, as human beings never stop learning and evolving. To grow as a human being and as an "artist", I need to be open — to adjust and absorb new experiences throughout my life, one would never stop the journey of life. The journeys we all take are something different. So, there are different pathways and vehicles of journey present in each of my pieces.

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