Shigaraki Jar 信楽広口壺
Shigaraki stoneware
H17″ x Dia14″ x Lip Dia 5.2″ (H43.1 x Dia35.5 x Lip Dia13.2 cm)
With Signed Wood Box
The Shigaraki master Furutani Michio (1946-2000) was the progenitor of Shigaraki classics during his life. The art of Shigaraki, which consists of over a hundred years of tradition, is famous for the surface construction of keshiki through sensitive ash glaze. This shigaraki jar, constructed in 1995, is no exception. The coat of ash and minerals thrown onto the surface of clay highlights the vibrant quality of the clay itself: glimmers of bright orange color of the clay that was brought forth by the kiln fires peeks out from under a layer of subtle cool gray ash. Not only does the shigaraki tradition rely on the potter’s luck with kiln firing, it also brings together the indispensable elements of contemporary and modern Japanese pottery: form, surface, and tradition.
Bizen Flower Vase
Stoneware
(h) 12.5″ x (w) 5.5″ x (d) 3.9″
With Signed Wood Box
Bizen, Shigaraki, Tokoname, Seto, Echizen, and Tamba stand as the six ancient kilns of Japan, each with a rich history and artistic tradition. Bizen, in particular, boasts kiln sites dating back to the 13th century, and over the generations, artists have cultivated a robust tradition rooted in its fertile lands.
Hailing from Nagasaki and a luminary in the Bizen pottery scene, Kakurezaki Ryuichi 隠崎隆一 (b. 1950) is celebrated for his bold forms and elegant surfaces, which artfully showcase the diverse qualities of Bizen clay. Bizen Okayama, arguably Japan’s most renowned pottery center, is home to numerous Bizen potters who elevate their craft to a sculptural level, a sentiment vividly embodied in Kakurezaki’s work.
Kawase Shinobu is a contemporary artist and potter working exclusively in the celadon medium. He descends from a long line of ceramicists, and began studying at an early age with his father. His early work adheres to the more traditional Song dynasty style of celadon, but he has been making inventive and original use of the medium since the early 1980s. Shinobu finds inspiration in nature, often taking formal clues from flora and fauna and translating them into elegant ceramic works of art.
He has enjoyed great critical success and his award-winning ceramics can be found in many prominent public and private collections. His work showcases modern, graceful organic forms that establish him as an outstanding master of contemporary celadon in Japan.
Blue and White Jar with Plum Drawing 梅染付壺
1970s
(h) 9.5” x (d) 9.8 ”
With Signed Wood Box and Lacquer Box, Porcelain
Kondo Yuzo was designated a Living National Treasure in 1977 for his work in underglaze cobalt blue (sometsuke). Following his graduation from the Kyoto School of Arts, he worked as an assistant for Tomimoto Kenkichi between 1921 to 1924, while employed on the recommendation of Shoji Hamada. As the story goes, Tomimoto eventually took him in hand and told him that unless he could draw, he would never be a great potter. Kondo responded by enrolling in courses specially teaching drawing and haltingly started applying these skills to his pots. The outcome of all his effort was a superb body of work where his dynamic, large scale decoration based on a set number of themes, reinvigorated the notion of just what blue and white decoration could achieve. His skills as a potter still emerge in his work with high-shouldered vases. These forms are instantly recognisable as Kondo’s forms and are as much his hallmark as is their decoration.
Kondo consistently revisited themes such as pomegranates, mountain ranges, pine, plum, bamboo, and thistles in his art, each retaining its vibrancy over time and across various forms of use. This exhibition showcases the adept incorporation of these motifs, such as the thistle, onto both a cup and a vase. The proportions of these elements harmoniously relate to the forms they embellish. Notably, landscapes adorn a later box, its background adorned with gilt—perhaps an homage to Tomimoto’s later works or a reflection of Kondo’s adaptation to the imperial taste of ancient Kyoto. These pieces stand as a highly original body of work, unparalleled in their artistry and individuality.
No. 2 Teabowl 咢容碗
2022
Mixed Clay with Glaze and Slip
(h) 4.3″ x (w) 6″ x (d) 5.5″
With Signed Wood Box
Shingu Sayaka has emerged as a young luminary in the Japanese ceramic industry, gaining recognition both within and outside Japan for her captivating ceramic flower series. Renowned for her distinctive approach, her pieces eschew vivid colors, instead embracing a monochromatic aesthetic that imparts a strong and quietly impactful impression.
In the realm of art, flowers often serve as a motif, with numerous artists, such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Georgia O’Keeffe, exploring the cyclical nature of endings and fresh beginnings through their works. Similarly, Shingu’s creations delve into the intricate dance of life reflected in flowers. In Japan, the concept of 無常 (Mujyo/mutability, uncertainty, impermanence) holds a place of common understanding. The transient beauty of 桜 (Sakura/Cherry blossoms), cherished for its fleeting existence, has inspired artistic expressions for millennia. Shingu, in her art, transforms this motif into a tender mode of self-expression, employing colored clay to craft her pieces. Through this medium, her work poignantly captures the essence of transience and the enduring immortality of life.
Yellow Oribe Flower Vase, キオリベ長筒花瓶
1992
Stoneware
(h) 14.5” x (w) 6.7” x (d) 5.6”
Signed Mutsu 睦 at the bottom
With Signed Wood Box
Yanagihara Mutsuo, born in 1934, is a prominent Japanese contemporary ceramic artist. Bursting onto the Kyoto pottery scene in the 1970s and 80s, Yanagihara seamlessly incorporated influences from geometric abstraction, expressionism, and other Western art movements into the realm of clay and ceramics. Through the ceramic medium, he masterfully merges form and pattern, creating a playfully graphic composition that leaves an indelible impression.
Yanagihara’s artistic journey took a transformative turn when he taught art in Chicago during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Immersed in the dynamic American art world of those decades, he absorbed the influences of Pop Art’s graphic comic book style and its vibrant, glossy color palette. His ceramics feature distinctive organic linework, skillfully blending seemingly disparate elements. The rich, earthy brown clay surface harmonizes with the electric pop of colored patterns, resulting in an outlandish and surprising visual experience that challenges the viewer with its unexpected spunk.
Yanagihara’s artistic contributions are highly regarded by experts, reflected in the inclusion of his work in prestigious collections, such as those of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Art Institute of Chicago, The National Museum of Art in Tokyo, the National Museum of Art in Kyoto, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Shino Flower Vase
Stoneware
(h) 10.1″ x (w) 6.1″ x (d) 5.8″
With Signed Wood Box
Born in Toki city, Japan in 1947, Hayashi Shotaro is a celebrated Japanese artist who specializes in ceramics. He is famous for his masterful Mino glazes, such as Shino, Oribe, and most notably, he is the contemporary pioneer of the uncommon “Manyosai” glaze. He is the recipient of the prefectural award of a Beholder of Intangible Cultural Property of the Mino prefecture. His robust forms are complimented by a softness of surface glaze that invites the viewer to relish the pleasures of the Shino technique.
Watatsumi No.3 海神
Stoneware
(h) 8.7″ x (w) 15″ x (d) 11.2″
With Signed Wood Box
Gotō Hideki is a contemporary ceramic artist born in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan in 1973. He currently resides in Tajimi City within the former Mino area in central Japan. He graduated in 1997 from the Department of Ceramics Science at a local technical high school. Post-graduation, Gotō dedicated himself to a pottery career, actively participating in public exhibitions showcasing his ceramic works. In 2012, he received the Encouragement Award for his Shino tea bowl at the nineteenth Mino Shōroku Tea Bowl Exhibition, a competitive event that saw over two hundred submissions per edition until its conclusion in 2015. In 2021, Gotō achieved an Honorable Mention at the twelfth International Ceramics Competition Mino, a prestigious recognition in the field.
Gotō’s artistic endeavors predominantly feature in high-profile solo and group exhibitions, primarily in Japan. Remarkably, despite residing in a mountainous region, his artistic creations draw inspiration from his childhood in a coastal town, a place that holds deep sentimental significance for him.
His unique sculptural forms are titled as “Watatsumi,” signifying “Sea God” and bears profound connections to Japanese folklore. In Shinto mythology, Watatsumi symbolizes the spirit (kami) of the sea and is an alternate name for the dragon deity Ryūjin. Gotō’s Watatsumi pieces emulate seashells, capturing the dynamic essence of the sea while preserving the craft essence of the Shino ware tradition. His artworks poetically depict various marine elements, such as crashing waves against cliffs, sea foam, and riptides, which are articulated through his recent creations characterized by curvilinear, layered textures.
Ceramic Frontiers: Sodeisha & Shikokai in Post-war Japanese Art
March 12 – 28, 2024
Asia Week Hours: Mar 14-23, 11am-5pm (otherwise by appointment)
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 14, 5:30-7:30pm
On the occasion of Asia Week New York: In the landscape of mid-20th century Japan, two significant sculptural ceramic movements, Sodeisha and Shikokai, emerged concurrently during the post-war period. Dai Ichi Arts is thrilled to present a landmark exhibition this March that illuminates the richness of these historical movements, offering a distinctive lens through which to explore “Post-war” ceramics from Japan.
This exhibition unveils a curated collection of masterpieces by renowned artists integral to the Shikokai and Sodeisha canon in Japanese ceramic art history. Among the luminaries featured are Hayashi Yasuo, Suzuki Osamu, Kumakura Junkichi, Yagi Kazuo, Yamada Hikaru, Fujimoto Yoshimichi, and other influential figures that defined this pivotal period in Japanese ceramic art. Exhibition catalog features new essays by Kazuko Todate (Art Critic/Member of the International Academy of Ceramics & former a chief curator of Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Japan) & Daniel McOwan (Scholar and Curator of Japanese Art).
View our latest acquisitions of modern and contemporary Japanese ceramics online. Since our beginning in 1989, we have been focused on highlighting museum-quality Japanese ceramics to the contemporary art scene in New York City. The gallery has introduced pieces to the permanent collections of several major museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Indianapolis Art Museum, The Princeton University Art Museum, and many more.
Our mission is to bring the timeless grace of modern classics, 20th and 21st century Japanese ceramics, to the world by providing leading expertise to collectors, working with established & emerging artists, and showcasing inspiring exhibitions. We strive towards compassionate and bespoke services to our clientele which includes connoisseurs, collectors, curators, interior designers, and more. We work to connect an international audience to the heart of museum-quality Japanese ceramics & ceramic art.