Miyauchi, Haruo

Miyauchi Haruo was born in 1943 in Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime Prefecture on Japan's Shikoku Island.

In 1965, he dropped out of Kuwasawa Design School to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator. He began working at the Nippon Design Center in Tokyo in 1968. Miyauchi left Japan for Canada a year later and exhibited his work in Toronto and Montreal. He then relocated to the United States to continue his studies at the Pratt Graphic Art Center in New York.

In 1971, Miyauchi started working at Push Pin Studios in New York, a renowned graphic design and illustration studio established by the influential designers Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast.

Miyauchi illustrated for prominent American magazines, including Rolling Stone and Playboy. Notably, he was the first Japanese artist commissioned to create Time and New York magazine covers.

At the height of his career as an illustrator, he received AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) awards for four consecutive years, from 1976 to 1979.

Around that time, Miyauchi discovered a porcelain plate by Picasso at a gallery on Madison Avenue in New York. Amazed and intrigued by what he saw, this inspiring encounter sparked his interest in ceramics and marked a turning point in his artistic journey.

Although Miyauchi was affected by illness in the latter half of his life, he devoted himself to creating ceramic art.

Miyauchi Haruo passed away in July 2006.