Kensuke Yamada
Kensuke Yamada (b. 1979) was born in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He received his BA from from The Evergreen State College and a MFA from the University of Montana in 2009.
Kensuke Yamada draws on his Japanese heritage to explore identity, folklore, and the emotions found in moments in everyday life. He has participated in numerous artist residencies and visiting artist programs, including The Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana, and The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, is included in museum and institutional collections, and he is currently an assistant professor at Chico State University in Chico, California.
“I combine contemporary imagery with elements of Japanese folklore, including Yokai, Kaiju, myths, and religious stories, to explore the emotional depth of everyday life. Through this mix of the familiar and the fantastical, I aim to create a space for connection, where distant worlds and shared stories come together.”
Kensuke Yamada Artwork
Kensuke Yamada, Gorilla Man, 2026, ceramic, 31 x 17 x 8 in
Kensuke Yamada, No War, 2026, ceramic, glazes, spray paint, 44x 18 x 12 in
Kensuke Yamada, Weight of Becoming, 2026, ceramic, 37.5 x 12 x 18 in
Kensuke Yamada, Waiting for You, 2026, ceramic, 42.5 x 17 x 14 in
Kensuke Yamada, Trying to Do More 2, 2026, ceramic, glazes, cable, 40 x 18 x 12 in
Kensuke Yamada, Trying to Do More, 2026, ceramic, glazes, cable, 39 x 21x 12 in
Kensuke Yamada, Uncontainable, 2026, ceramic, 41 x 21 x 17 in
Kensuke Yamada, Fuck You Bye Bye, 2026, ceramic, 56.5 x 17 x 9 in
Kensuke Yamada, Enough is Enough, 2026, ceramic and glazes, 43 x 27 x 25 in
Kensuke Yamada, No King, 2026, ceramic, 44 x 18 x 11 in
Kensuke Yamada, Head, 2026, ceramic and graphite, 25 x 22 x 24 in
Kensuke Yamada, Head, 2026, ceramic, 26 x 24 x 24 in
Kensuke Yamada, Head, 2026, ceramic, 32 x 21 x 21 in
Kensuke Yamada, Head, 2026, ceramic, 37 x 22 x 22 in
Kensuke Yamada, Toilet, 2026, ceramic