Ceramic artist based on Ishigaki Island, Japan

I am a ceramic artist based on Ishigaki Island in southern Japan. I work with clay and porcelain, following forms that may become functional, sculptural, or something in between. Material, place and the natural world are always present in the process.

Current Research

Following questions that begin with material, curiosity and what appears along the way.

Selected Works

Chawan

2026
Stoneware, glaze

Untitled Vase

2026
Stoneware, glaze

Material & Place

I have long been drawn to things gathered from the earth — flowers, weathered wood, clay. After a long and indirect path, I found my way to clay in Japan. Traces of change and process remain in the work.

Celeste Ortelee working on a ceramic sculpture in her studio on Ishigaki Island, Japan.

About

I am a ceramic artist based on Ishigaki Island in southern Japan. My practice moves between functional ceramics, porcelain and sculptural forms, shaped by material, place and nature.

Studio Notes from Ishigaki

New work, material research and studio developments.