John Dix has spent the last 25 of his 35 years with clay primarily in Japan. This has led to works that show a strong Japanese influence but still retain elements of his early training in the West.
“The word that best describes my approach to clay is Serendipity. I’ll have a starting point without a clear destination, a familiar path (constructing a teapot , a sake bottle, etc) which I always give myself permission to diverge from. This freedom brings freshness to the work and has sustained me over the years.”
”Firing with wood takes the idea of ‘serendipity’ to a higher level. I don’t know of any other art form where chance plays such a pivotal role.”
In 1995, the day before the Kobe Earthquake, John met David Jack and Sachiko Matsunaga. They were starting a rural studies foundation in the area of Japan called Tamba, an ancient pottery region. With their support John was able to build an anagram kiln. The place has developed into Fieldwork Japan with facilities for people to come and experience rural Japan through pottery. While John works as an independent potter, he also encourages people from all walks of life to join him at Fieldwork.
Loading the kiln with glazed and unglazed pots takes 5 days. Over the course of the one-week firing copious amounts of ash are produced, giving each piece its own unique character.
"It is physically and mentally draining. Years and years went by before I even started to understand what was happening in the kiln."
John still defers to the gods of chance, but in fact at this point he has succeeded in wresting control of the process and mastering all aspects of his firing.
John regularly exhibits at galleries and department stores in Tokyo, Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) and also in the U.S.A.
Exhibitions
1991 Itami Craft Competition, Itami Museum, Osaka, Japan
1992 Three American Potters, Itami Craft Museum, Osaka, Japan
1992 International Teapots, Detroit, MI
1997 Chisai me Gallery, Nishinomiya, Hyogo
1999 International WoodFire Exhibition. Iowa City, IA
1999, 2000, 2002 solo exhibition, Hankyu Department Store, Osaka
2001, 2003 solo exhibition, Hankyu Department Store, Kobe
2000 solo exhibition, Bihodo Galleries, Sapporo, Asahigawa, Hokkaido
2001, 2003 solo exhibition, Tosei Gallery, Nagaokakyo ,City, Kyoto
2002, 2004 solo exhibition, Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro, Tokyo
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 solo exhibition, Gallery Shun, Tokyo
2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 solo exhibition, Gallery Shou, Osaka
2004 solo exhibition, Tokyo American Club
2005, 2007, 2009, 2012 solo exhibition, Daimaru Department Store, Osaka
2006 solo exhibition, Gallery Ten, Chiba
2007 International Wood Fire Exhibition, Salem, OR
2007 International Tea Bowl Exhibition, Bainbridge, WA
2008 solo exhibition, Kobe Club Gallery, Kobe
2008 Form and Fire Group Exhibition, Westmont College, CA
2009 Soft Beauty of Shino Group Exhibition, Concord University, Athens, WV
2009 Masters and Stokers Group Exhibition, Vessels Gallery, Boston MA
2010 solo exhibition, Gallery Kobo, Seattle WA
2010, 2011 Cha no Yu no Zokei Ten (Teabowl Exhibition) Tanabe Museum, Matsue, Shimane
2010 Signature Gallery, Atlanta GA
2011 Vessels Gallery, Boston, MA
2012 Teabowls from the Edge Group Exhibition, Tacoma, WA
2012 World in a Cup Sake vessels. Group Exhibition, Curated by John Dix. Seattle, WA
2012 solo exhibition, Daimaru Department Store, Osaka
2013 Trax Gallery. Berkeley, CA
2013 Gallery Sho Osaka, Japan
2014 solo exhibition, Concord University Gallery, Athens WV
2015 Gallery Sho Osaka, Japan
2016 solo exhibition, The Wedge Studios, Reno NV
2017 John Dix, Nick Schwartz and Bede Clark at Trax Gallery. Berkeley, CA
2017 solo exhibition, Gallery Sho, Osaka, Japan
2021 two-person Show at Amagasaki Bank Museum
2022 solo show at Schaller Gallery, New Haven Michigan
Collections
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Galleries
Trax Gallery, CA
Schaller Gallery, MI
Stratford Gallery, England
Experience
1960 Born, Flint, MI, USA
1982 BA Liberal Arts, Albion College, Albion, MI.
1983-85 Apprentice, Terrestrial Forming Pottery, Whitehall, MI
1985 Apprentice, Xania, Crete, Greece
1985-86 Potters in Jerusalem, Israel
1987-89 Studio Manager, Terrestrial Forming Pottery
1989 Moved to Japan
1989-91 Student at Tekisui Pottery Studio, Ashiya, Hyogo
1992-94 Worked with Bizen Potter Kanichi Mikami, Tsuyama, Okayama
1995 Beginning of Fieldwork: anagama wood-fire kiln and studio built, Sasayama, Hyogo. Continuing till present
Publications
1999 Japan Times, feature article
2000 Ceramics Art and Perception, issue 39
2001 The Japan Times, ‘A potter’s journey’
2003 Ceramics Monthly, June/July/August Issue, ‘The Highs & Lows of Making Pots’
2009 Ceramics Monthly, ‘A new pot’s story’
2009 Ceramics Technical, issue 29
2012 The Log Book, issue 52
2013 The Log Book, issue 55
2014 New Ceramics, 'Where the magic happens'
2014 The Log Book, issue 57
2020 Kansai Scene Q&A
Workshops
2006 Workshop at Flint Institute of Art, Flint, MI
2007 Firing the Anagama Peter's Valley Craft Center, NJ
2009 Workshop at Frederick Community College, Frederick MD
2010 Shoreline Community College, Shoreline WA
2010 Workshop at Lane Community College, Eugene OR
2010 Firing the Noborigama, Peters Valley Craft Center, NJ
2010 Workshop at Odyssey Studios, Asheville, NC
2010 Firing Workshop at Judith Duff Studio, Brevard, NC
2011 Workshop at Scottish Potters Association, Kindrogan Scotland
2011 Workshop at Solway Ceramic Centre, Solway England
2011 Firing Workshop at Concord University, Athens W.V.
2011 Firing Workshop at Kotulak Studio, Germantown NY
2011 Workshop at Raritan Community College, NJ
2012 Firing Workshop at University of Utah and Red Kiln Pottery Studio, Salt Lake City UT
2012 Workshop at Linn-Benton Community College. Corvallis, OR
2012 Kiln building workshop at Peters Valley, NJ
2013 Firing Workshop at Mendocino Arts Center. Mendocino CA
2014 Firing Workshop at Kotulak Studio, Germantown NY
2014 Firing Workshop at Judith Duff Studio, Brevard, NC
2014 Firing Workshop at Concord University, Athens W.V.
2015 Firing Workshop at Kotulak Studio, Germantown NY
2016 Workshop at Nancy Green Studio,
2016 Workshop at Red Kiln, Salt Lake City UT
2016 Making and Firing Workshop, Wedge Studio and Snow Mountain Anagama, Reno NV
2017 Painting with Fire: 2-week firing workshop, co-teaching with Nick Schwartz at Penland School of Crafts, NC
2018 Firing workshop at O’Mahoney Studios, Lismore Ireland
2018 Lecture/demo at Landshutt School of Ceramics Landshutt Germany
2018 Firing the Noborigama, Peters Valley, NJ
2019 Firing the Anagama co-teaching with Nick Schwartz at Peters Valley NJ
2022 Making and Firing Workshops at Mendocino Arts Center. Mendocino CA
2022 Firing workshop at Seraphina Studio, Saugatuck MI
2022 Firing workshop at Community Arts Center Media, PA
2023 One-month making and firing workshops with Nick Schwartz at Golden Bridge Pottery, Pondicherry India
Numerous Workshops at the Fieldwork Studio in Sasayama Japan.