Shoji Hamada was the leading figure in the Mingei folk art movement in Japan, advocating the use of traditional techniques in the making of pottery. In 1918 he met Bernard Leach and from 1920-23 traveled to England with him to set up Leach Pottery in St. Ives. Later, he moved back to Japan and created a workshop in Mashiko, where he provided housing and workspace for visiting potters from Japan and abroad.
Considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, Hamada’s works are in the collections of many of the most important museums of the world and his influence is widely felt. In 1955, he was designated a National Living Treasure by the Japanese government.