Hiroki Iwata (b. 1965) is one of the very few young Japanese metal artists researching and experimenting with enamel and in 2003 he became Director of the Japan Enamelling Artists Association. He is also a member of the Japan Craft Design Association. He has exhibited widely, both in Japan and abroad, in solo and group shows and has won many prizes. He is currently a part-time metal work instructor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Art and Music.

Born in Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu, fibre artist Naoko Serino (b. 1962) graduated from Kyushu Sangyo University in 1984. She works with jute which is so finely woven that it almost takes on the appearance of being spun, giving a very light and airy feeling. She has exhibited extensively in Japan, and in the last few years has also been a participant in numerous fibre and textile exhibitions around the world.

Graduating from Tokyo University of Fine Arts in 1988, Toru Kaneko (b. 1962) is a silversmith specialising in objects and jewellery made in various metals. He has been awarded numerous prizes in Japan including the Japan Crafts Exhibition Prize and the Grand Prix at the Takaoka Craft Competition. He has exhibited in Japan, Europe and Australia.

Shihoko Fukumoto (b. 1945) uses subtle shades of blue and natural materials to create luminous wall hangings and installations that convey a sensation of deep and fragile space. Her works have evolved from the Japanese folk tradition of shibori and indigo dyeing dating from the Heian period (794-1192). She works with a variety of materials such as silk-covered washi, hemp and other natural fibres.

The traditional wood-firing techniques of historical potters from his native Shigaraki, are evident in the work of Yasuhisa Kohyama (b. 1936). He has played an important part in reviving the use of the traditional Japanese "Anagama" wood fired kiln, being the first potter in the area to build such a kiln since medieval times. Kohyama's powerful and sculptural work has been exhibited widely in Japan and overseas including at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Galerie Besson first showed his work in 1992.

Considered one of Japan’s most innovative ceramic artist’s, Ryoji Koie (b. 1938) has exhibited internationally and taken part in numerous workshops and conferences around the world. In 1991 he spent time in the studio of Sebastian Blackie in Farnham (originally Henry Hammond’s studio) preparing a body of fluid work in stoneware for an exhibition at Galerie Besson. He returned for a second solo show in 1998, after working with translucent porcelain in the studio of Oxford potter Margaret O’Rorke.

Tatsuzo Shimaoka (b. 1919) studied pottery at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and later as an apprentice to Shoji Hamada. He set up his own kiln and workshop next to Hamada’s in Mashiko in 1953, where he has lived and worked ever since. He was awarded the honour of Japanese Living National Treasure in 1996. Shimaoka's work is in many prestigious collections worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Retaining the ‘natural intentions of clay’ is the desire and goal of potter Shozo Michikawa (b. 1953). He works in a wide range of styles and techniques – ranging from tanka (charcoal fired) vases – to white kohiki glazed bowls and natural ash glazed dishes. Michikawa has exhibited worldwide, including a prestigious exhibition at the Forbidden City, Beijing in 2005.

Born in Nagoya in 1969, to parents running a small-scale iron works, Kouichi Uchida grew up in an environment where there were plenty of iron scraps and tools with which to play. He entered the Seto High School for Ceramics in Aichi, and after graduating set up as an artist. He creates both vessels and large scale sculptures in a wide range of styles working in ceramic and metal. In 2000 he was chosen as one of the 38 craft artists to represent Japan at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Arts.