I call my studio the Dojo because of the mindset that I bring to my practice. Informed by my martial arts experience, I enter the Dojo with respect and intentional, focused intensity.

I began studying ceramics in 2018 under the tutelage of master ceramist Doug Browe. I learned to throw in January of 2019, and have been diligently training ever since. My training sessions are three hours long, three times a week. For years, I worked with no production goals or quotas, free to pursue  technical excellence. Until recently, most of my work was smashed and recycled into clay.

Beginning 2023, I have been completely focused on bonsai pots. I am proud to collaborate with bonsai master Scott Chadd of Lotus Bonsai Nursery, whose expertise and generous feedback continues to refine my understanding of the nuances of bonsai and their pots. I find the making of bonsai pots to be deeply satisfying, and the community of bonsai artists are a delightful audience for my work.

That's me. My name is Ryan. Hi! I'm a father, husband, poet, potter. Yonsei (fourth-generation Japanese American) blended with Dutch and German heritage.  I love making things that delight and surprise.

I consider myself... kind of strange.

I work with an emphasis on continual improvement, balanced with mindful contentment. This mindset, coupled with a drive to share the learning process, led to a half-decade of thrice-weekly live-streams around which I have cultivated a community centered upon compassion, patience, and perseverance.