Suzanne Wang

Born in Taiwan and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, my love for travel, culture, and artistic expression has taken me on many adventures. Although I developed a passion for ceramics as a teenager, by the time I was twenty I was pursuing scene design for film and theater, which led to a Master of fine arts degree. For ten years during and after my schooling, I worked in these industries in New York and San Francisco. 

City life and country living have shaped my wider perspective, and I feel fortunate to have experienced both worlds. In China and Hong Kong, I spent a few years working in product development for giftware and home decor. Urban living had a great impact on me: I changed my lifestyle in 2006 and moved to the countryside! Working for a small tea company in New England, I was able to travel to tea-growing regions in Asia, which deepened my understanding of tea culture. 

Having lived in Hawai‘i periodically in the past, I always wanted to return. I am fascinated by the hybrid Asian melting pot that co-exists with the native Hawaiian culture. Shortly after moving to the Big Island in 2010, I stumbled upon a student pottery sale that inspired me to take up the craft again. Getting my hands back into clay was like having a long lost love rekindled. I decided to pursue ceramics more seriously in 2015 after being accepted for a one year apprenticeship in Japan with master potter Ken Matsuzaki. The experience left a deep impression on me and had a profound effect on my work.

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