Tetsuya Yamada was born in postwar Tokyo, where he began studying traditional Japanese ceramics. He subsequently received his MFA from Alfred University in 1997 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Through his ceramic-centered multimedia work, Yamada examines nature to explore fundamental truths about human nature. His recent exhibitions include a Mid-Career Survey, Listening at Walker Art Center in 2024, and Shallow River at Midway Contemporary Art in Minneapolis in 2022. Yamada has participated in numerous residency programs, including Kohler Arts/Industry in 2002 and 2009, the Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia in 2004, and the European Ceramic Work Center in Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands in 2010. He is a recipient of the 2001 Tiffany Award, the 2005 McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists administered by The Northern Clay Center, the 2014 and 2019 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Visual Artists administered by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the Grand Prize (the highest prize) at the Gyeonggi International Ceramix Biennale in South Korea in 2011, and Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023.