UPCOMING ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION
Ceramic Modernisms
March 19 – 27, 2026
Opening reception: March 19, 2026, 4-7pm
Details forthcoming.
PAST EXHIBITION
Memories of a House
Hayashi Yasuo Solo Exhibition
January 22 – February 5, 2026
Open by appointment only
We are honored to present a solo exhibition of the modern ceramic master Hayashi Yasuo (b. 1928), one of the most pivotal figures of the first post-war generation that shaped contemporary Japanese ceramics. This exhibition marks the artist’s final overseas solo presentation and brings together an intimate selection of works spanning from 1969 to the present, tracing key moments across an extraordinary artistic practice that has extended over eight decades.
Born in Kyoto in 1928, Hayashi Yasuo came of age during a period of profound upheaval. Drafted as a kamikaze pilot during World War II, he survived only due to the sudden end of the war, an experience that would leave a deep psychological imprint on his life and work. In the immediate post-war years, within Kyoto’s cultural circles, Hayashi associated with leading figures of the time, including Noguchi Isamu (1904–1988), and exhibited alongside Noguchi in Paris in 1947 while still very young.
That same year, Hayashi became a founding member of Shikō-kai, Kyoto’s first avant-garde sculptural ceramic movement. In 1948, the group held the earliest exhibition of ceramic objets, known as obuje-yaki, kiln-fired objects that consciously subverted Japan’s long tradition of vessel-based ceramics.
Works from Hayashi’s early period are featured in this exhibition, alongside rare examples from the 1960s and 1970s. After encountering the work of Surrealist Max Ernst at the home of potter Uno Sango, Hayashi explored biomorphic forms characterized by sensuous contours and richly red surfaces.
Also included are works from his ongoing “Memories of a House” series. During his wartime night training flights over Kyoto from which he was extremely lucky to survive, Hayashi observed the city as a dense expanse of kyōmachiya rooftops stretching across the darkness below. Seen from the air, familiar domestic forms became distorted by distance, speed, and weather, merging with an acute awareness of mortality. These psychologically charged impressions have remained a persistent theme throughout his career, through which Hayashi continues to reflect on the fragility of life.
Now at 97, Hayashi finds renewed expression in a new group of objets created in remembrance of the victims of, and those still affected by, the March 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, nearly fifteen years on. These series, titled “Scenes of Namie Town,” reaffirm his enduring belief in art as a vessel for humanity, memory, and history.
We warmly welcome you to contact us here with your inquiry!
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Online Shop
In our ongoing mission to share the beauty of Japanese ceramics with collectors, connoisseurs, and curators, we are delighted to announce the launch of a new section on our website: an online shop. Here, you’ll find a curated selection of small artworks, each available for $1,000 or less. Thoughtfully chosen to bring art into everyday life, these works offer an accessible way to discover and collect Japanese ceramics.
We warmly invite you to explore the collection and find the piece that resonates with your home, spirit, and daily rituals.
To start browsing, click here.
Latest Acquisitions
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.
View them all here.
About the Gallery
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. is a fine art gallery specializing in modern Japanese ceramics. Since 1989, we’ve focused on featuring significant ceramic works in New York’s contemporary art scene, contributing pieces to major museums like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, and more. We are committed to providing authoritative expertise to collectors, liaising with artists, and showcasing inspiring exhibitions and artworks. We welcome you to contact us for more information.
