Mineo Okabe (also known as Katō Mineo), was taught pottery techniques by his grandfather before attending the Aichi Prefecture Seto Ceramics School.

His early works were made on the wheel and echo the refined styles of Korean Yi dynasty pottery and Chinese blue and white porcelain ware.  In the mid 1950s, he began focusing on hand-built works, and ash and iron glazes.  He also made celadon and craquelure tea bowls, as well as sculptural Oribe and Shino glazed pieces.  

Okabe was considered one of the most talented Japanese artists working in clay during the twentieth century.  His work was acquired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Ambassador's office in São Paulo, Brazil.  He received the Hokuto Award for an artwork presented at the prestigious Nitten exhibition, which was later bought by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be placed at the Japanese Embassy in Paris.  He was also honoured with the Prague International Ceramic Exhibition Grand Prize, the Japan Craft Art Association Honorable Mention Award and Brussels Expo Grand Prize.

Group Exhibitions

1. Japanese Ceramics 20 September - 5 October 2023