Sekisui’s work is characterized by the distinctive red mumyoi clay and his exploration of its transformation through firing, developing new approaches while preserving the essential techniques of the tradition. In his yohen (kiln-change) works, he deliberately exploits the transformation of the clay during firing, producing contrasting red and black surfaces. He also employs neriage, a technique in which differently coloured clays are kneaded together to create patterns within the body of the vessel.
Sekisui has exhibited widely in Japan and internationally, including at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. He has received two awards at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition – the Excellence Award in 1980 and the Takamatsu-no-miya Memorial Prize in 1997. In 2003, he was designated a Living National Treasure. His works are held in international museum collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
