Manabu Kondo | Toukichirougama Obori Soma Ware Kiln

Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten) – Partner Artist
Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association – Director
Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association Tohoku – Chairman
Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition – Judge
Tohoku Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition – President of the Screening Committee
Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition – Guest Judge

1954: Born in Obori, Namie Town, Futaba County
1977: Graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University
Began working at Toukichirougama Obori Soma Ware Kiln, the family business
1982: Selected for the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition for the first time and consecutively thereafter
1986: Won Honorable Mention for Art at the Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition
1987: Held a solo exhibit in Koriyama City
Held a solo exhibit in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Selected for Nitten for the first time
1988: Commended by the Obori Soma Potters’ Cooperative Union at the 300th anniversary celebration of Obori Soma ware’s founding for being the first in the region to be selected for Nitten
Held a solo exhibit at Fukushima’s Nakago Department Store
1989: Selected for Kirin Brewery Company’s “Testimony Series” of commercials and featured on the front page of a newspaper
Held a solo exhibit at Sendai’s Fujisaki Department Store
Appeared on NHK
Selected for Nitten
1990: Made ceramic goblets as free prizes for a Kirin Brewery Company summer campaign
Held a solo exhibit at Fukushima’s Nakago Department Store
1991: Held a solo exhibit at Sendai’s Fujisaki Department Store
Won the Tohoku Contemporary Crafts Membership Award at the Tohoku Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
1992: Appeared on TV-U Fukushima
Held a solo exhibit at Iwaki City’s Daikokuya Department Store
1994: Made a ceramic mural (“Genesis”) at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Hamadori Power Station
Won the Fukushima Prefecture Art Award at the Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition
Held a solo exhibit at Iwaki City’s Daikokuya Department Store
1995: Won the Contemporary Crafts Award at the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
Won Honorable Mention for Art at the Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition
Became a member of the Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association
1996: Exhibited at the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition as a member
Won the Fukushima Prefecture Art Award Semi-Grand Prize at the Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition
1997: Held a solo exhibit at Iwaki City’s Daikokuya Department Store
1998: Held a solo exhibit at a gallery in Tokyo’s Otemachi district
2000: Held a solo exhibit at Iwaki City’s Daikokuya Department Store
Won an award at the Bienal Internacional de Cerâmica Artística Fuji – 2000
Held a solo exhibit at Sendai’s Bansui Gallery
2001: Produced the tenmoku tea bowl used by Young Master Sen Soshi at the Urasenkei Tankokai Tohoku Regional Convention
Judged the Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition
Made a ceramic mural (“Stream of Eternity”) at Kappo Tomoe
2002: Won the Contemporary Crafts Member Award at the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
Made a ceramic mural (“Creation Myth”) at the main building of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
2004: Held a solo exhibit at Iwaki City’s Ono Bijutsu gallery
2005: Judged the Fukushima Fine Arts Exhibition
2006: Judged the 45th Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
Held a solo exhibit at Koriyama’s Usui Department Store
2008: Made a dolphin-themed ceramic mural at Aozora Kodomoen, an integrated childcare and educational facility in Naraha Town
2012: Featured on the Italian fashion brand Gucci’s official blog
2013: Judged the 52nd Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition

Won the NHK Chairman’s Award at the 52nd Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
2016: Judged the 55th Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
2019: Judged the 58th Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition
2020: Won Special Prize at the 7th Reorganized New Nitten (2020)
Made a ceramic mural (“Creation”) at the Futaba Town Industrial Exchange Center