Gloria Sakato’s story moves from science to art, but the thread running through it all is curiosity.
She was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea during the Korean War, growing up in a time of rebuilding and change. In the late 1960s, she moved to California for college and graduated with honors in Biochemistry. She went on to have a long career in analytical and nuclear chemistry, eventually retiring as a well-known forensic explosives specialist on the West Coast. Her work required focus, patience, and precision, skills that later found their way into her art.
Retirement gave her the space to explore a new interest: ceramics. She set up a studio in Fairfield, California while studying with Professor Marc Lancet at Solano Community College. Working with clay was a clear shift from science. It offered freedom instead of formulas, and space to experiment, reflect, and express parts of herself that didn’t fit into words.
Her inspiration comes from many places. She’s drawn to the soft, glowing colors in Mark Rothko’s paintings, the strong, organic forms in Thierry Martenon’s wood sculptures, and the simplicity and balance of traditional Japanese pottery. All of these influences show up in her work, but in a way that feels distinctly her own.
Sakato has exhibited in a number of group shows and has received several fine art awards. She is a founding member of Out of Clay, composed of women ceramic artists. Alongside her creative life, she is the mother of two children.
Nature has always been at the center of her imagination. She’s fascinated by both its beauty and its power, the way it can create and destroy. Years of backpacking in the high Sierra Nevada wilderness deepened that connection. The scale of the mountains, the texture of rock, the quiet of alpine lakes all left a lasting impression.
Most of her ceramic pieces are built using coils. She prefers this method because it feels natural and intuitive, almost like building the landscape layer by layer. The slow process mirrors the way nature shapes the earth over time. In her work, you can sense both the discipline of a scientist and the wonder of someone who has spent years walking through wild places and paying attention.
Selected Exhibitions & Awards
2026 Off Center, An International Ceramic Art Competition, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, California, USA
2024 Feats of Clay, 6th Street Gallery, 2024 Regional Competition Juried Exhibition, Lincoln, California, USA
2024 Arts Benicia, Group Exhibit (by Invitation), Benicia, California, USA
2024 The Beauty of Purpose: A Functional Ceramic Show, Sebastopol Center for the Arts Juried Exhibition, Sebastopol, California, USA
2nd Place - Ceramic Vessel
2024 California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), Solano Community College Group Exhibit, Davis, California, USA
2023 ‘Chasing the Flame’: Seven Artists-Seven Visions, Group Art Show by Invitation, Herger Gallery, Solano Community College, Fairfield, California, USA
2023 Slice, Juried Art Show, Pence Gallery, Davis, California, USA
2022 59th Annual Nor-Cal Regional Juried Art Show, Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association, Fairfield, California, USA
1st Place - Ceramic/Vessel
Honorable Mention - Ceramic/Sculpture
2021 Black/White & Shades of Gray, Sebastopol Center for the Arts Juried Exhibition, Sebastopol, California, USA
2019 Wabi-Sabi, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Juried Exhibition, Mill Valley, California, USA
2019 ‘Out of Clay’ Group Show, Alpha Fired Arts, Sacramento, California, USA
2019 20th Anniversary Exhibition Celebrating Wood-fire at Solano Community College, Herger Gallery (by invitation), Fairfield, California, USA
2019 California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), Solano Community College Group Exhibit, Davis, California, USA
2018 California Clay Competition 2018, 29th Annual Statewide Juried Exhibition, The Artery, Davis, California, USA
2018 77th Annual Marin County Fair (Fine Arts & Craft, 3-dimensional) Juried Exhibition, San Rafael, California, USA
2017 76th Annual Marin County Fair (Fine Arts & Craft, 3-dimensional) Juried Exhibition, San Rafael, California, USA
Honorable Mention - Ceramic
2017 54th Annual Nor-Cal Regional Juried Art Show, Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association, Fairfield, California, USA
1st Place - Ceramic/Vessel
3rd Place - Ceramic/Sculpture
2016 53rd Annual Northern Regional Juried Art Show, Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association, Fairfield, California, USA
2nd Place - Ceramic/Vessel
2015 California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), Solano Community College Group Exhibit, Davis, California, USA
2014 California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA), Solano Community College Group Exhibit, Davis, California, USA