Makoto Yabe’s (1947-2005) work exemplifies the artistic freedom and improvisational approach that was essentially prohibited to him in Japan, where he was a classically trained ceramicist. In order to be free to experiment and explore the boundaries of his art, Yabe left for the US where he taught and worked for the rest of his life. He was born in Fukushima, Japan and began studying ceramics in Kyoto when he was 9.