Richard Tanaka was born in Toronto and it was there that he began his journey in clay. He studied pottery at Humber College and worked as a clay technician at Rodaco Clay under master potter Ron Roy.
In the late 70s he moved to the Shuswap area of British Columbia where he built a house and studio on a small acreage in the mountains. The space allowed him more opportunity to do outdoor firings and to delve into the study and practice of raku.
Richard works intermittently with both vessel and sculptural forms. Eclectic in his interests, he creates traditional classic forms as well as hand built whimsical pieces. His sculptural pieces sometimes convey messages of our society and times. Working in both porcelain and stoneware, he then alters the forms and embosses the surfaces with designs and texture. After bisque firing Richard dips, paints and sprays on layers of glaze creating images of landscapes and nature. The utilitarian pieces and some of the sculptural pieces are fired in an electric kiln while other pieces are fired using a traditional Japanese firing process.
His work ranges from functional dinnerware, lamps, planters and vases to one-of-a-kind sculptural pottery heads, fish goblets, vases and vessels, he creates pieces for everyday use as well as works of art that are sought after by collectors.
His work is available directly from him these days.