BIO

Born in Taiwan and raised in the United States, Suzanne Wang creates hand-built ceramic works that merge East Asian aesthetics with the natural forms and rhythms of Hawaiʻi. Her pieces range from intimate vessels to large-scale sculptural installations, each balancing subtle elegance with earthy tactility through the interplay of exposed clay and layered glazes.

She holds an MFA in Scenic Design for Theater and Film from New York University and trained for a year in Mashiko, Japan under master potter Ken Matsuzaki. This foundation in design and traditional craftsmanship informs her approach to structure, balance, and spatial composition—qualities that bridge functional and sculptural practice. Her years in Asia developing giftware collections sharpened her understanding of materials and production—skills she now brings to collaborations with interior designers.

Now based on the Hāmākua Coast of Hawaiʻi Island, Wang’s work continues to evolve through her connection to place and community. She views the act of making as both meditative and physical, a process that reflects her respect for material, culture, and the quiet persistence of form.

CV

1996—Graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Drama, emphasis in theater scene design.  San Francisco State University, CA

2000—Graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in Design for Stage and Film, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, NY

2010—Moved to the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, and began taking pottery courses. Hilo Community College, Hilo, HI

2014—Established home studio for pottery in Wailea/Hakalau, HI

2016—One year apprenticeship with master potter Ken Matsuzaki. Yuushin-gama, Mashiko, Japan

2018—Complete 4-month online course in Understanding Glaze Chemistry.  Instructor: Matt Katz of Ceramics Materials Workshop

2018—Teacher for weekend workshop: Hand Building Forms with Molds and Patterns. Donkey Mill Art Center. Kona, HI 

2019, Spring: Clay teacher for Harmony Ed home-schooled students. Weekly art sessions at EHCC, Hilo, HI

2019—3 week live-in training at Daihonzan Chozen-ji zen temple, with a focus on pottery. Oahu, HI

2020—Artist Talk at the Donkey Mill Art Center in Kona, HI

2020—Teacher for weekend workshop: Hand Building Forms with Molds and Patterns. Donkey Mill Art Center. Kona, HI

2020—3 week live-in training at Daihonzan Chozen-ji zen temple, with a focus on pottery. Oahu, HI

2022 - Zonta micro grant recipient, awarded to women entrepreneurs on Hawai‘i Island

EXHIBITIONS

2025—Wondrous Light, Intentional Form Exhibition (group), Wailoa Center, Hilo, HI

2025—Hawaii Nei Annual Exhibition (group), Wailoa Center, Hilo, HI

2023—Portal 2: Hawaii Island Juried Art Competition (group), Firehouse Gallery, Kamuela, HI

2023—Phase Change: Porcelain in Flux (group), Donkey Mill Art Center, Kona, HI

2019—Black & White Exhibit (group), Kristie Fujiyama Kosmides Studio & Gallery, Hilo, HI

2019—Formation: Ceramics Exhibition (group), East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center, Hilo, HI

2019—The Visible Hand: Hawaiʻi Craftsmen, Statewide Juried Exhibition (group),

Honolulu Museum of Art School, Honolulu, HI

2018—Libation: Ceramics Exhibition (group), East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center, Hilo, HI

2018—Hawaiʻi Craftsmen 51st Annual Statewide, Juried Exhibition (group),

Honolulu Museum of Art School, Honolulu, HI

Recipient: Paul Loo Memorial Award

2018—Art in Hand: Contemporary Craft Exhibition (group), Wailoa Center, Hilo, HI

2017—Big Island Clay Exhibition (group), East Hawaii Cultural Center, Hilo, HI

2017—Keio Dept Store, Crafts Salon (solo), Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Press and Publications

2022—“Keola Magazine” - Suzanne Wang: Ceramicist Comes Full Circle (feature), May issue

2020—“Craft Artists” - A Practical Career Guide. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, (feature)

2017—The Collective Podcast: Interview with Ash Thorp, (feature)

2017—“Mashiko Apprentice” - Hawaiian Skies 11-min documentary, (feature), Hawaiian Airlines In-Flight program