Kazuo Yagi (1918–1979) was born in Kyoto and is regarded as one of the leading figures in post-war Japanese avant-garde ceramics. Although he began his career creating traditional tableware, he eventually moved beyond the confines of ‘functional vessels’ to explore the very act of sculpting with clay. In 1948, together with Osamu Suzuki, Hikaru Yamada and others, he founded the avant-garde ceramics collective Sōdeisha, expanding the scope of ceramics beyond utilitarian objects to a realm of free expression on a par with sculpture and contemporary art. He left behind numerous original works that serve no functional purpose as vessels, including his masterpiece *Mr Zamza’s Stroll*.

When viewing Kazuo Yagi’s works, one senses a sense of humour and intellect whilst he makes the most of the weight and texture inherent in clay. The forms appear strange at first glance—sometimes resembling living creatures or machines—but the more one looks at them, the more the artist’s ideas and playful spirit come across. To me, Kazuo Yagi’s works appear to embody the very question of ‘What is ceramics?’. I believe the unique appeal of Kazuo Yagi lies in the fact that, by breaking away from the tradition of making vessels, he has, conversely, greatly expanded the possibilities of clay as a material.