Yoshito Takenishi

Born into a family of potters in Tobe, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, Yoshito Takenishi has been working with pottery for over 40 years. His father founded Keisen-gama (Keisen Kiln) in 1966 and in 2001, Takenishi inherited the workshop and renamed it Joshua Koubou (Joshua Atelier) after his signature blue color, Joshua Blue. Though he continues to preserve the techniques and traditions that his father passed down to him, Takenishi is creating new and unprecedented Tobe ware with timeless beauty.

Joshua Blue is the product of tedious experimentation and refinement. For over five years, Takenishi dedicated himself toward the creation of this rich deep blue color, ultimately developing such severe tenosynovitis that he could barely hold his chopsticks after spraying tenaciously with his paint gun. After finishing development, the Joshua Blue gradient has become the flagship feature of Takenishi's pottery, and is nothing short of masterful.