Sugiura Yasuyoshi graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Art and Music in 1973, and was part of a group of potters working in the 1980s such as Akiyama Yo who focused on sculptural and conceptual ceramics. Their works were frequently exhibited together in Japan, and both share similar interest in sculptural approaches and emphasis on the materiality of the clay. Sugiura is best known for his large scale 'rock' and 'stone' installations, but his practice also includes his 'coloured ware' works of smaller vessels concentrating on colour, pattern and surface texture, and most recently individual sculptures of delicate and realistic flower forms.