Yuko Irie is a Kyoto-born ceramic artist whose work moves between functional vessel and sculptural object. After studying ceramics at Kyoto University of Art and Design, she established dona ceramic studio in 2015.

Nature shapes Irie’s work in both material and form. She mixes sea sand into clay from Shigaraki, one of Japan’s historic pottery regions, allowing the firing process to draw irregular grains to the surface. Formed by hand and with molds, her rounded, asymmetrical silhouettes recall clouds, stones and living organisms. Working intuitively, she lets the material guide the final shape and pays close attention to how each piece feels in the hand.