Ito Yoshihiko

Ito Yoshihiko was born in Hyogo Prefecture and lived in Shigaraki-Seinenryo, a welfare facility (run by Social Welfare Corporation Shigarakikai) in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, and he created a large volume of clay works over a 30-year period. A nature lover, Ito apparently loved to go mushroom picking on the mountains near the facility when the season was right. From his early days, his works comprised clusters of eyeball-like protuberances, and in later years he colored these works with glaze he applied himself. “Demons” are frequently-occurring motifs, with Ito reportedly claiming “demons live deep within the human soul” *.
* “ A Man Named Ito Yoshihiko,” from The Development of Sensibilities: Why are People Driven to Express Themselves? By Alao Taeko (May 2011) http://robocol.sakura.ne.jp/47.html (accessed on June 23, 2023)