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HERITAGE Contemporary Japanese Ceramics and Metalwork
HERITAGEContemporary Japanese Ceramics and Metalwork
HERITAGEContemporary Japanese Ceramics and Metalwork
Throughout the centuries, Japanese artists have sought to capture genuine beauty by applying precise techniques, aesthetic sensibilities, and attention to detail to a variety of materials. These artists’ heritage has been passed down from one generation to the next, expressed anew in each one’s work through recreated form and design. Traditional restrictions offer shared structure within which each artist seeks new ways to express her or his contemporary circumstance. This heritage is also intangible. It is the way of life of a craftsman or a community of craftsmen that reflects aesthetics, theories, and passions about beauty.This Asia Week New York 2015, Onishi Gallery is proud to present a unique two-part exhibition featuring a brilliant array of contemporary Japanese ceramics and metalwork. While Japanese ceramics have been a focus of the Gallery’s exhibitions of years past, this exhibition marks the first that showcases Japanese metalwork. The metalwork art in this exhibition are closely related to their regions of origin within Japan’s 47 prefectures, each prefecture with its own cultural, artistic and industrial traditions. Notably, three of the seven metalwork artists originate from Toyama prefecture, famous for producing metalwork objects for centuries.Of special note in this exhibition, nearly one third of the artwork is created by nine Living National Treasure artists, carriers of Important Intangible Cultural Property as designated by the Japanese government. Their creative practices actualize the show’s theme of “heritage” through time-honored techniques of hand, eye, and mind.Since its opening in 2005, Onishi Gallery has dedicated itself to cultivating a dynamic interplay between Japanese artists and New York City’s international audience. The Gallery has accomplished this by working closely with Japanese government offices and international cultural institutions, both in Japan and the United States.I extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Karasawa Masahiro, the chief curator of Crafts Gallery at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo for his significant essay contribution to the exhibition catalogue; and to Mr. Ishii Takakazu, Governor of Toyama prefecture, for his lifetime support of Japanese art and culture, and for introducing us to leading metalwork artists in his prefecture.
ONISHI Nana Owner and Director, Onishi Gallery
GREETING
I am thrilled and honored that works by Toyama prefecture’s Ōzawa Kōmin, Hannya Tamotsu, and Hata Shunsai III are being displayed through Onishi Gallery during this year’s Asia Week in New York City.In May 2014, works by Ōzawa Kōmin and Hannya Tamotsu received high praise from critics at an exhibition sponsored by Toyama prefecture, “The Extraordinary Kōgei Art and Contemporary Design from Toyama, Japan,” at Onishi Gallery. Since it was my desire to build on this success and continue to promote traditional craftwork of Toyama prefecture in New York, I was extremely happy to find out that works by these two artists, as well as a third, will be included as part of the Asia Week exhibitions. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Onishi Gallery for their kindness and consideration.Metal artist Ōzawa Kōmin represents Japan as a Living National Treasure, and is the inventor of a cast-wrapping technique called igurumi, in which metal decoration is attached to the surface of the mold before molten metal is poured inside. Hannya Tamotsu is the foremost master of the fukiwake casting technique, artfully weaving together bronze and brass to create works with mysterious patterns. Hata Shunsai III crafts iron teakettles and utensils which are traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony; the elegant design of his work is well suited for modern living spaces, and has been well-received.These three artists are based in Takaoka, a city which boasts a metalworking industry with over 400 years of history. Takaoka’s bronze ware has a long history of being appreciated throughout the world, including appearances at the 1862 London Exhibition and the International Exposition of 1867 held in Paris. Takaoka bronze and copperware has received countless awards, and is a much sought-after import in Europe and America.The pieces being presented at this exhibition represent advanced techniques born from Toyama’s rich tradition of metalwork. I hope that you will enjoy them and through them feel the spirit and history of Toyama.
ISHII Takakazu Governor, Toyama Prefecture
FROM ‘CRAFT’ TO ‘KŌGEI’ – Inquiry into the Essence of Forms
By KARASAWA Masahiro, Chief Curator of Crafts Gallery, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
In Japan today, ‘kōgei’ [ 工芸, ‘craft’ ] refers to works made by both artists and artisans, and the creations are considered as art or as manufactured products. In other words, there are kōgei that are created by artists and those manufactured by artisans. It is perhaps not wrong to say that kōgei of Japan established its own identity through the synthesis of these two trends. In both, the creators sought to understand the essence of the involved materials and techniques, in order to best exploit the nature of the various media in their finished works. What this means is that the materials for the makers’ works are predetermined – such as clay for ceramics and metals for metal works – and that in conceiving of images or ideas, whether making objets d’art or manufactured products, the medium was already there. Therefore in the case of Japanese kōgei, the materials handled by the makers in fashioning images and ideas are not choices to be made, but instead, are exclusive to the process of harnessing the nature of the materials into objets d’art or manufactured products.This enforced intimacy with materials has led to the development of the utmost skill in production levels and sophistication of expression in creating craft objects in Japan. When considering the works made by artists, it has become questionable whether such works can be simply categorized as ‘crafts,’ the English term traditionally used to translate kōgei. Due to what the word ‘craft’ can bring to mind – ranging from exhibited works and utilitarian vessels to fence posts on a farm – the term cannot be accurately defined as craft, especially with works created by artists producing kōgei which are rich in individual expression. Hence when discussing kōgei, particularly of contemporary artists, instead of using the Western concept of ‘craft,’ the established translation of ‘kōgei,’ I propose to leave the term in Romanized form kōgei, as I have done essentially in this essay. This, for example, follows words such as ‘manga’ and ‘karaoke,’ which have now been incorporated into the English lexicon. I feel that such terms serve to better signify some distinct aspects of Japanese culture.This can also apply to a popular Japanese word, ‘dentō’ [ 伝統 ], commonly translated in English as ‘tradition.’ The term ‘tradition’ in English is partially defined as, “the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.” In Japanese, this is closer in definition to that of denshō [ 伝承 ], which is about ‘transmission,’ such as in the passing down of folk stories and oral traditions.
YOSHITA Minori (1932 –)
Incense Burner, 2014; porcelain with yuri-kinsai (gold underglaze); h. 6 x dia. 5 in. (15 x 12.7 cm)
The Yoshita family runs the Nishikiyama kiln, which specializes in aka-e kinrande, a highly decorative porcelain tradition involving gold and red enamel painting in brocade-patterns on Kutani wares from Ishikawa. In 1951, Yoshita Minori, who had been making pottery since high school, took over the family business and became the third generation head of the family. Since then, he has been experimenting with various traditional techniques characteristic to the Nishikiyama kiln while refining them in innovative ways.The artist is recognized for his graceful application of yuri-kinsai, underglazed gold decorative porcelain. This technique was developed during the 1960’s in Kanazawa; gold-leaf cutouts in patterns are applied prior to glazing, rather than by the traditional process of painting patterns in gold pigments by brush. Yoshita’s technique is a perfect marriage of elegant Kutani porcelain traditions with kinpaku or gold-leaf, the highly prized local product of Kaga domain, present day Ishikawa prefecture. This method opened up a new frontier in the world of gold-colored porcelains in Japan and Yoshita is regarded as the premier artist executing the technique. In 2001, he was awarded the Medal of Purple Ribbon and was designated a Living National Treasure.
When discussing skills and techniques, the term denshō is important but it cannot embody the concepts of tradition associated with artists, their creativity, and artistry. When the widely used Japanese terms dentō and kōgei are combined as ‘dentō kōgei’ [ 伝統工芸 ], and translated into English as ‘traditional crafts,’ they merely become words that imply age. For artists, when contemplating dentō kōgei, they are not simply thinking of the transmission of a tradition, but are seeking to individualize and enhance their creations by instilling them with their own creative spirit and expression.In the art world today, it seems that creation is occurring separate from pondering the resoluteness of various materials, resulting in the diminished importance of materials in objects. In recent years, the wide interest in Japanese kōgei is perhaps due to the strong sense of the materials used in the works, which are expressions that were driven by the materials themselves, then transformed into myriad shapes and textures by artists. Placing value on works that can harness the essence of materials, one can perhaps say that Japanese kōgei strives to investigate the intrinsic nature of materials.The artists represented in this show, “Heritage: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics and Metalwork,” are key figures related to ‘dentō kōgei’ in Japan today. By observing their works that represent the pinnacle of the genre, it is my hope that visitors will appreciate kōgei while contemplating the significance of the materials in the works.
Mumyoi Jar Sado Island, 2012; stoneware with yohen (color change by fire); h. 14 x w. 15 3/4 x d. 15 1/2 in. (35.5 x 40 x 39 cm)
ISEZAKI Jun (1936 –)
Isezaki Jun, the second son of potter Isezaki Yozan (1902–1961), is one of the most renowned masters of Bizen pottery, a traditional ware that emerged nearly a thousand years ago in the Inde district of Bizen, Okayama prefecture. Isezaki Jun is the fifth Bizen artist to be designated a Living National Treasure by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan.Isezaki brings back the traditional anagama kiln, that is dug into a hillside similar to a tunnel. Significant in Bizen pottery production is the yakishime style glaze, which results from the natural wood ash and burn-products that occur in the kilns during the firing process. Isezaki therefore emphasizes the importance of the placement of his works inside the kiln during the firing process. Even as an experienced potter, the artist cannot always predict how the works will turn out; the firing process often brings out beauty that even the artist does not expect. The finest works are often a result of the combination of careful design and fortuity. Isezaki’s works, which have bloomed from tradition, continue to emerge and expand in exciting new ways.His works are collected and exhibited by major museums in the world such as the British Museum in London and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Born in 1941, Ito Sekisui V is recognized for works utilizing mumyoi or a red soil, he was designated a Living National Treasure in 2003. Mumyoi is a reddish brown, ferric oxide clay extracted from gold mines native to Sado Island in Niigata prefecture where he was born.Ito graduated in 1966 from Kyoto Technical University with a degree in ceramics. He then returned to Sado Island and started experimenting with mumyoi and various firing methods. He created his signature aesthetic by placing red against black contrasts and is also known for neriage wares. Characterized by beautiful and delicate patterns, neriage wares are produced by first making multiple layers of clay with different tones of reddish brown using mumyoi, followed by the patching together of many pieces. In order to bring out the vibrancy of the red color, Ito does not apply glazes; instead, his firing technique, called yohen, utilizes different flame streams inside a wood-fired kiln. The areas directly hit by the flames turn to a black hue.The artist defines creativity as bringing forth, “what has never existed, something new and attractive. That’s a creator’s destiny.” To this end, Ito has been quite successful and has been the recipient of many prestigious awards. He continues to experiment with different techniques and strives to perfect his skills even further. His work can be seen at many museums around the world, including the Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Vase Fusetsu (Wind and Snow), 2014; wood-fired stoneware; h. 23 1/4 x w. 12 x d. 9 1/4 in. (59 x 30 x 23 cm)
ITO Sekisui V (1941 –)
IMAIZUMI Imaemon XIV (1962 –) SAKAIDA Kakiemon XIV (1934 – 2013)
In 2014, Imaizumi Imaemon XIV received the ultimate distinction: at the age of 51, he became the youngest artist to be designated a Living National Treasure. Iro-Nabeshima, a polychrome, enamel painted porcelain, was developed during the Edo period (1615 –1868), under the support of the Nabeshima domain in current-day Saga prefecture. Highly praised for the meticulous enamel painting that illustrates both Asian and Western motifs, Nabeshima wares have been one of the most celebrated porcelains in Japan and abroad. The Imaizumi family passed down the techniques of Nabeshima during the Edo period. Imaizumi Imaemon became the fourtheenth generation head of the family upon completing his studies in traditional metal work in college and working in the product design industry. The family reputation and long tradition came with the challenge to further develop Nabeshima wares. The artist’s signature techniques include sumi-hajiki— a dyeing technique that takes advantage of the repellent nature of sumi ink applied onto a white porcelain base to create patterns or motifs prior to firing—passed on since the Edo period, and a new overglaze painting technique using platinum (platinum coloring). Imaizumi adds his personal tastes to decorative designs by rendering classical favorites such as plum and hydrangea motifs with more modern patterns such as snowflakes.His works are represented in many museums, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Kyushu Ceramic Museum in Saga, the Museum of Ceramic Art in Hyogo, the British Museum in London, and the Auckland Museum in New Zealand.
Kakiemon is a colorful and decorative style of porcelain, named after the illustrious family who perfected porcelain wares in Arita, Kyushu. Since the early Edo period (1615 –1868), Kakiemon porcelains have been exported to Europe and treasured all over the world.Sakaida Kakiemon XIV specialized in porcelains that show strong compositional motifs. He trained in Nihonga, or Japanese-style painting, prior to working in porcelain production with his grandfather, Kakiemon XII (1878 –1963) and his father, Kakiemon XIII (1906 –1982). In 2001, Sakaida Kakiemon XIV was designated a Living National Treasure for his excellence in overglazed enamel porcelains. His works harmoniously combine traditional colors and motifs in the Kakiemon style with his own contemporary aesthetic, which he cultivated through his training as a Nihonga painter.The appeal of Kakiemon is in the perfect balance between the richly colored and delicately executed enamel paintings against the pristine white negative space. Nigoshide (milk-white base), a white porcelain base unique to Kakiemon porcelain, was invented in the late 17th century by the first Kakiemon generation. In 1953, Kakiemon XII and XIII succeeded in reviving nigoshide and in 1955, this technique was designated an Intangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government.
Flower Vase with Zuika (Mullein) Flower Patterns, 2014; porcelain with iro-e polychrome enamel painting with light sumi and sumi-hajiki; h. 14 1/2 x dia. 12 1/2 in. (36.6 x 31.2 cm)
Nigoshide White Vase with Cherry Blossom Patterns, 2012; porcelain; h. 7 2/5 x dia. 8 3/5 in. (18.8 x 22 cm)
TOKUDA Yasokichi III (1933 – 2009) TOKUDA Yasokichi IV (1961–)
Tokuda Yasokichi III was one of the world’s most famous Kutani potters. Born in Ishikawa prefecture, he was designated a Living National Treasure in 1997 for his mastery of the saiyu glaze (vivid enamel glaze) technique. Yasokichi III innovated the glaze technique based on traditional Kutani colored glaze enamels. He developed techniques handed down from his grandfather, Tokuda Yasokichi I (1873 –1956) and later his father, Tokuda Yasokichi II (1907–1997). Through his saiyu glaze technique, Yasokichi III created his own designs characterized by delicate shading and beautiful color contrasts.Yasokichi III’s works have been recognized widely and shown in numerous museums including the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Sackler Gallery, and the Smithsonian Institute. His honors include the acceptance into the Issui-kai Pottery and Porcelain Exhibition (1958), and the receiving of multiple prizes such as the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Association Chairman’s Award (1977), the Grand Prize of the International Pottery and Porcelain Exhibition (1990), and the Purple Ribbon Medal given by the Japanese government (1993).
Born in 1961, Tokuda Yasokichi IV succeeded her father Tokuda Yasokichi III after his death in 2009. As a female leader of a traditional potter’s family, she is a remarkable figure in Japan and also recognized in the international arena. She inherited the techniques and methods of the Tokuda family style of Kutani porcelain production, especially saiyu glazing, whereby the arrangements and gradations of color play a central role in the ornamentation, rather than the usual pictorial designs of birds, flowers, and figures seen in conventional Kutani wares. In addition, her personal sensibility as a female artist gives her a novel perspective on tradition that is reflected in her diverse choice of colors and unique interpretations of form. Her works are housed in public collections in the United States, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana and the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Ancient Red Fuji, 2013; porcelain with colored glaze; h. 2 3/4 x dia. 16 in. (7 x 41 cm)
Kashin (Pistil), 1998; porcelain with colored glaze; h. 1 3/4 x dia. 20 1/2 in. (4.5 x 52.5 cm)
Bowl, 2014; porcelain with enamel and gold in kinrande style; h. 10 x dia. 17 3/4 in. (25 x 45 cm)
YOSHITA Yukio (1960 –) OHI Toshio (1958 –)
Born into the Yoshita family of porcelain artists and as the son of Yoshita Minori (1932– ), a Living National Treasure, Yoshita Yukio forged an independent style in his works that echoes traditional Kutani overglaze techniques of his native Kanazawa. At the same time, his works are reflective of his own aesthetic sensibilities; Yoshita’s expressions with colors such as the faded pastel shades that recall frescoes of the Italian Renaissance and poetic representations of color akin to watercolor drawings on porcelain surfaces, are his special achievements. His works are standouts among the bold-colored and smooth surfaces of traditional Kutani wares. Yoshita applies pastel matte glazes to the white porcelain bodies of elegant vessels, often painted in overlapping or blurring abstract patterns. He also uses metallic gold overglaze to highlight the designs. Yoshita’s works are housed in museums both in and outside of Japan, such as at the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, Kanazawa and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Ohi Toshio inherited an artistic tradition that dates back to 1666 when the first Ohi ware potter began crafting ceramic works near Kanazawa for the tea ceremony. Toshio is the eleventh generation head of this historic family lineage. He shows the characteristically lustrous effects of Ohi ware in bowls and other items for the tea ceremony and in a vast range of other works, both utilitarian and purely artistic.A native of Kanazawa, Ohi earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Boston University. While he learned new expressions of ceramics during his studies in the United States, he became more consciously aware of the unique beauty and character of Japanese pottery and the practice of the tea ceremony. In addition, the experiences as artist in residency, teaching and lecturing in the United States, Europe, China, South Korea and Taiwan enabled him to develop his own perspective and understanding of his family’s multi-generational heritage of Ohi ware.Ohi’s works are in museum collections such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Honolulu Museum of Art; the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse; the Sèvres Ceramics Museum, France; the Ariana Museum, Geneva; the Ghent Design Museum, Belgium; the Jingdezheng Ceramics Museum, China; the Taipei Fine Arts Museum; the Japan Foundation; and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan.
Ceremonial Vessel Sonsu (Reverence), 2014; stoneware; h. 9 3/4 x w. 16 3/4 x d. 8 1/4 in. (24.8 x 42.5 x 21 cm)
Shomura Ken is the fifth generation head of the Banko kiln in Arita, Saga prefecture, which dates back to the Meiji period (1868 –1912). Although polychrome enamel painted porcelains and blue-and-white porcelains (sometsuke) are most prevalent in Arita, the artist first worked with white and blue celadons. He studied for seven years with the leading expert of white porcelain production, Inoue Manji (1929 –), designated a Living National Treasure in 1995. Shomura trained with Inoue, making vessels on a potter’s wheel which became the foundation for his eventual works of clear and sleek porcelains. Shomura’s celadons quickly gained recognition in juried competitions and in 1980, at the young age of 31, he won a high prize at the prestigious Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition.Shomura continued to challenge himself and developed his signature techniques, ai-zome or indigo-dyeing and beni-zome or red-dyeing. This he attributes to his prior experience with stoneware production, albeit for a short period of time. The exploration of glazes for stonewares allowed the artist to take the bold approach of applying them for the first time to porcelains. Shomura works with much ingenuity and creativity to produce new types of porcelain in Arita.
Shomura Hisaki, son of Ken, studied industrial chemistry in college, then attended Arita College of Ceramics before starting to work at his family kiln. His original works called shirotae-ji are works in which the artist seeks to perfect the silky white hue of porcelain. To bring about infinite subtle expressions solely in white, the artist experimented with transparent glazes and simple patterns on austere vessel forms. As an emerging young artist from Arita, Shomura has won numerous awards at competitions, such as the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, and has shown works at solo exhibitions in various cities in Japan.
Flower Vase in Blue, 2014; porcelain; h. 13 1/2 x dia. 7 1/4 in. (34 x 18 cm)
SHOMURA Ken (1949 –)
Silky White Vase—Jewel Line, 2012; porcelain; h. 10 x dia. 8 1/2 in. (25.4 x 21.6 cm)
SHOMURA Hisaki (1974 –)
KOYAMA Koichi (1960 –)
Faceted Box with Small Patterns, 2014; stoneware; h. 5 1/2 x dia. 11 1/2 in. (13.5 x 29 cm)
YAMAJI Kazuo (1949 –)
Yamaji Kazuo was born in Tokyo in 1949. As a young adult, his infatuation with the hippie culture in North America took him to Montreal, Canada where he worked at a Japanese restaurant. A year after arriving in Montreal, a chance encounter with a Japanese speaking Canadian ceramist changed his life. The ceramist had trained under the Living National Treasure, Hamada Shoji (1894 –1978), and in 1967, Yamaji started studying at the ceramist’s studio. He stayed there for five years and then returned to Japan in 1972.After two years of training in Mashiko, he started his own kiln in Kasama, Ibaraki prefecture. In 1981 he moved with his family to Hiroshima where a job opportunity at a ranch awaited him. There, he divided his time between farming and making ceramics. One day he found textile stencils at a museum and became fascinated with them. In 1985 he moved back to Kasama, a rural area outside Tokyo, and started to incorporate stencil patterns onto his ceramic works. The stencil paper sheets he uses are made with persimmon tannin. His patterns are influenced by various sources, including the Japanese checker- board design used in everyday kimonos from the Edo Period, Islamic mosques, and Western cathedrals.
Koyama Koichi studied ceramics at Tamagawa University. He set up his kiln, Ryusen-yo, in the Yanaka district of downtown Tokyo where he was born and raised, and has been working there independently. While teaching ceramics at local community and adult programs, he participated in juried exhibitions and competitions, quickly gaining recognition in the late 1990’s after receiving the Special Award at the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition.Seeking novel colors and textures, the artist does not hesitate to explore new materials and methods in his overglaze painted works previously not used in Japanese ceramic production. For example, metals are conventionally used in leaf- or pigment-form in creating decorative surfaces, but Koyama applies them in innovative ways using chloride fluid. The artist creates ceramic work by uniting fresh abstract patterns with new colors and techniques. The distinct and subdued blue tones, unlike the typical cobalt and enamel blues, are among his technical and artistic achievements that are highly regarded. In 2013, his work became part of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Plate with Clematis Design, 2013; stoneware; h. 4 1/2 x dia. 22 in. (11 x 56 cm)
SUZUKI Miki (1970 –) MOCHIZUKI Shu (1960 –)
Suzuki Miki was born in Bizen, Okayama and is the oldest son of the distinguished ceramist Suzuki Koichi (1942 –). Eager to learn about different traditions of ceramic works outside of his hometown, he went to Kyoto and studied at the Ceramic Training School. After graduation, he went on to study with the ceramist Okamoto Akira (1941–).His most recent invention is ao-Bizen or blue-Bizen, a specific blue color achieved by a delicate firing process, not by glazing or applying pigments. He is also known for applying white clay to the blue surfaces, using itchin, a decorative technique that creates curvilinear white patterns of hakudei-mon, or clay. This method is new to Bizen wares, which have a long history, beginning with Sue-ki or the gray and unglazed stone wares that Korean immigrants brought to Japan in the 5th or 6th century. Suzuki’s goal is to harmoniously combine traditional Bizen with new and ambitious techniques. He wishes to embrace history while still seeking to explore many exciting possibilities.In 2013, his work became part of the permanent collection at the Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts.
Mochizuki Shu was born in Tokyo and studied ceramics at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts. A Tokyo native, he also built his first kiln in the Nakano district there. His signature ceramic works are decorated with red paintings called aka-e, one of the traditional under-glaze painting techniques used in Japanese pottery. Wares with this warm red color, first discovered in the town of Arita in the 17th century, have long been adored by ceramic collectors and connoisseurs. The artist adds this traditional red hue by using more brick red in order to depict seasonal flowers highlighting their freshness. On its milky white surface, the glaze shows characteristic feldspar spots which are unpredictable until the firing process is finished. The clay, original to Mochizuki, peeks through the glaze, giving the vessels a lively, organic, and earthy aesthetic.Mochizuki has had solo exhibitions at many galleries, including the Tokyo Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, and his work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Art and Design, New York.
Flattened Vase with Design of Peonies, 2013; stoneware; h. 20 x w. 18 x d. 9 in. (51.3 x 45.3 x 22.8 cm)
Blue Bizen Triangular Vessel with White Clay Patterns, 2014; stoneware; h. 19 1/2 x dia. 16 3/4 in. (49 x 42 cm)
UWATAKI Koichi (1968 –)
Born in 1968 in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, Uwataki Koichi is from a long line of ceramic artists. He graduated from the Toyo Institute of Art and Design with a focus in graphic design. However, following graduation, he went to Arita to study ceramics. In 1993 he returned to Sakura and started to train under his father, Uwataki Katsuji (1941–).Uwataki Koichi uses the nunozome saiji technique to apply his designs and color to white ceramic surfaces. This technique involves the use of nonwoven fabrics to decorate vessels. While underglaze decoration and patterns are commonly painted or drawn with a brush on works, with nunozome fabrics are cut into shapes and placed on surfaces and transferred using a brush to bring out colors.Uwataki’s works have been exhibited in both group and solo shows in Japan; in 2009 his work was purchased for the Imperial Household Agency.
KIMURA Moriyasu (1935 –)
Tenmoku Andromeda Water Jar, 2014; stoneware, wood; h. 13 3/4 x w. 6 1/2 x d. 6 3/4 inches (34.5 x 16 x 17 cm)
Kimura Moriyasu is a Kyoto-based tenmoku glaze specialist. He is known for his originality in creating exquisite surfaces and his hallmark glaze is called ‘sky tenmoku.’ The layers of shimmering blues on Kimura’s ceramics are a testimony to his fifty years of dedication exploring the beauty of tenmoku glazes. Tenmoku refers to the technique of melting iron into the glaze during the firing process. The resulting color variations depend upon the amount of iron; achieving the desired result is challenging and requires a lot of experimentation, knowledge, and patience.Tenmoku tea bowls were first produced in China during the Song Dynasty (960 –1279), and brought to Japan by a Japanese priest. The first mention of tenmoku occurs in a Japanese document in 1335 by Onkei Soyu. During the 14th century, the Ashikaga shoguns held tenmoku and Chinese celadons in the greatest esteem and this reverence reached its peak during the reign of the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1369 –1395).As Kimura says, “There is a richness and depth of hue that one never tires of; it is like looking into a beautiful night sky full of stars or gazing at photos of Andromeda.” In fact, Kimura has created a new style of tenmoku that he calls Tenmoku Andromeda. The riveting beauty of this style has won the admiration of many around the world and his works can be found in numerous museums, such as the Palace Museum in Beijing; the Museum of Fine Arts Boston; the Dallas Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston; the British Museum in London; the Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts; and the Portland Art Museum in Oregon.
Vase with Textile Patterns, 2012; porcelain; h. 10 x dia. 15 in. (25 x 38 cm)
Ozawa Komin, metal artist from Takaoka, holds the honor of being Toyama prefecture’s sole Living National Treasure. Born in 1941 in an area known for its copperware, Ozawa is recognized today as a master of the yakigata casting technique. He is also the inventor of a cast-wrapping technique called igurumi in which metal decorations are attached to the surface of a mold before molten metal is poured inside. Ozawa blends innovative technology with creative designs to push the boundaries of traditional metal casting.The artist takes inspiration from the interplay of light and water in his works. He believes that they provide the sources for life itself and that their harmonious relationship results in the earth and the cosmos. Even what cannot be seen—such as the wind, sound, electromagnetic waves, and air—are manifestations of the harmony between light and water for Ozawa. On his vessels, the red streaks represent light while the white lines are expressions of water.
Nakagawa Mamoru, recognized for his outstanding mastery of zogan (metal-inlay), was designated a Living National Treasure in 2004. The title Living National Treasure is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated abilities and skills deemed to be critical to the essence of Japanese culture. Kanazawa, his native city, developed as a castle town in Kaga domain (present-day Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures), during the Edo period. It was known as a center of metal-inlay craftwork, supported by the feudal lords. However the metal-inlay tradition, like other craft and decorative art traditions, withered under the pressures of industrialization and modernization during the Meiji Restoration. Nakagawa has been a seminal figure in a successful initiative to revive metal-inlay as an important genre of decorative arts in Japan. He has enlivened the traditionally monotone realm of metal casting, for example, with an unprecedented palette of colors. Since the zogan technique is said to have originated around Turkey, the artist has visited the area more than ten times, following the Silk Road, the cultural crossroads between the eastern and western reaches of Asia. Nakagawa identifies the roots of his metal-inlay techniques there, as an expression of the amalgamation of East and West, as well as of tradition and innovation. In 2008, one of his masterpieces, Sekisei, was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.Other significant works by him are in collections such as at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the British Museum, London, and the Shanghai Art Collection Museum.
From the Earth, From the Sky, 2012; yakigata metal casting; h. 15 1/2 x w. 11 1/2 x d. 4 1/2 in. (40 x 30 x 12 cm)
OZAWA Komin (1941 –) NAKAGAWA Mamoru (1947 –)
Mado (Window), 2009; cast of alloy of copper, silver, and tin with copper, silver, and gold inlay; h. 11 x w. 13 3/4 x d. 7 in. (28 x 35 x 18 cm)
Osumi Yukie is a metal artist who specializes in tankin or hammered vessels. Osumi graduated in 1969 from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Afterwards, she studied under Kashima Ikkoku (1898 –1996), Sekiya Shiro (1907–1994), and Katsura Moriyuki (1914 –1996). She also trained as an artist in the United Kingdom for a year under sponsorship of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. She has received many honors and awards, and most recently in 2014, was the first to be awarded a residency at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C.She applies the traditional technique nunome-zogan or textile imprint inlay. This involves hammering metal leaf or wire into a fine, mesh-like grid incised into the surface of metal surfaces. Osumi creates decorative and functional objects, such as vases and tea utensils. Through her designs of the wind, waves, clouds, and streams, she strives to express nature as formless and flowing.Her works are in collections such as at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and the Royal Museum, Edinburgh.
OSUMI Yukie (1945 –)TAMAGAWA Norio (1942 –)
Designated a Living National Treasure for his unique metal hammering technique mokume-gane in 2010, Tamagawa Norio is one of the most respected and well known artists of his field in Japan. He was born in 1942 in Niigata prefecture and is a descendent of Tamagawa Kakubei (1799 –1871), who founded Gyokusendo in 1816. Gyokusendo creates functional and decorative copperware in the tsuiki or hand hammered method.Tamagawa studied the hammering technique in Tokyo from 1963 to 1965 as an apprentice under Sekiya Shiro (1907–1994), also a Living National Treasure. After his apprenticeship, Tamagawa returned home and rejoined Gyokusendo. He continued to master his craft and was chosen to show his works at many prestigious exhibitions in Japan and in Europe, and received many prizes and awards. In 1996, he decided to devote all his time to art and resigned from the company.
Sound of Wind, 2014; hammered silver with nunome-zogan ( textile imprint inlay) decoration in lead and gold; h. 11 x dia. 12 in. (27.5 x 30.2 cm)
Mokume-gane (wood-grain metal) Jar, 1991; hammered silver, copper and sekido; h. 6 x dia. 7 in. (15 x 18 cm)
HATA Shunsai III (1976 –) HANNYA Tamotsu (1941 –)
Faceted Tea Kettle, 2012; iron and copper; h. 7 1/2 x dia. 8 1/2 in. (19 x 21.6 cm) Fukiwake Leaf-Shaped Tray, 2013; metal casting with copper, silver, gold and brass; h. 4 x w. 21 1/2 x d. 9 1/4 in. (11 x 56 x 23 cm)
Hannya Tamotsu, metal master, was born in 1941 in Takaoka, Toyama prefecture. Hannya is a sixteenth generation metal worker who creates art in the fukiwake casting technique, in which three different metals are individually poured into a mold within five seconds of each other. Due to the different melting points of the three metals, they do not blend together when combined, but form a unique pattern instead. Hannya is the only known artist to have ever made a three-metal cast work.His work is in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
Born in 1976, Hata Shunsai III is a metal artist whose family has been rooted in Kanaya-machi for generations. Kanaya-machi is a district in Takaoka, a city in Toyama prefecture that is steeped in history. This area of Japan has been well known for centuries for its exceptional metalware crafts. To this day, some of the best metal artists, including Living National Treasures, are from this area. Hata has carried on his family tradition of creating tea kettles, learning the craft by observing his father at work since he was a young boy.In the past few years, he has started to challenge himself by experimenting with creating more modern and artistic works rather than utilitarian wares. He has received several prestigious awards in Japan, including the President of NHK Prize on the occasion of the 60th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition which was held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo in December 2013.
OSHIYAMA Motoko (1958 –)
Zansho (Lingering Light), 2010; silver, copper and shibuichi alloy; h. 3 x w. 9 1/2 x d. 4 1/2 in. (7.5 x 23.5 x 11 cm)
Exhibition Schedule
Upper East Side, NYCHERITAGE: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics and MetalworkMarch 13 – 21, 2015 Opening Reception: Friday, March 13, 6 – 9 pm Open House Weekend: March 14 –15, 10am– 6 pm On View :10 am – 6 pm, daily Erarta Galleries, 1043 Madison Avenue, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10075 917.214.8108
Chelsea, NYC Tenmoku: Japanese Tea Bowls by Kimura MoriyasuMarch 12 – 27, 2015 On View : Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 6 pm Onishi Gallery, 521 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001 212.695.8035
Contact Nana Onishi / Onishi Gallery 212.695.8035 / 917.214.8108 Onishi Gallery, 521 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001 [email protected]
Oshiyama Motoko uses aspects of nature, such as animals, plants, and natural phenomena, as inspiration for much of her work. She is fascinated by the challenges and beauty of metals, and rather than controlling the medium seeks to work with the idiosyncracies. Her technique involves welding two or more metals together, such as shakudo (mixture of gold and copper) and silver, which creates swirling patterns.Unlike theme based paintings and sculptures which can be readily attributed to an artist, Oshiyama believes that “craft” work should not be so personalized. Rather, she strives to distinguish herself from other contemporary metal artists by expressing herself through a modern sense of design focusing on geometric and abstract patterns. The artist’s works straddle between “craft” and “art”; indeed Oshiyama’s works are artistic but she believes that if her designs become too personal, then they become sculptures or works of art, and not craft. Instead, her goal is to create objects we live with that will enrich the environment aesthetically and therefore our lives as well.Oshiyama studied metal carving, chasing, and hammering techniques at the Bunka Gakuen University in Tokyo, where she graduated from in 1981. Following graduation, she studied further with Katsura Moriyuki (1914 –1996) and the Living National Treasure, Okuyama Hoseki (1935 – ). Oshiyama currently teaches metalwork and jewelry-making at her alma mater. This is her first time to exhibit works in the United States.
Onishi Gallery Asia Week New York 2013 Exhibition View
