UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Architect of the Bizen Renaissance: Mori Tōgaku.
May 7 — June 26, 2026
This May, we are honored to present, in conjunction with Shibuya Kurodatoen Co. Ltd., Architect of the Bizen Renaissance: Mori Tōgaku. While Mori Tōgaku’s (b. 1937) name has become synonymous in Japan with contemporary Bizen ceramics, Architect of the Bizen Renaissance marks the artist’s first solo show and retrospective outside of Japan. Featuring twenty-three works that span the artist’s career, this exhibition presents the remarkable aesthetic diversity that this master ceramist has been able to achieve within the Bizen tradition.
Mori Tōgaku was born on March 23, 1937, in the town of Imbe, historically part of Bizen Province. His family has been making ceramics there since the Muromachi period (1336–1573), when they were officially designated one of the six Bizen ceramic lineages that established the region’s tradition of unglazed, wood-fired ceramics. A true virtuoso in this challenging and often unpredictable ceramic style, Mori Tōgaku has long impressed Japanese art critics with his mastery of highly coveted surface effects, such as scarlet straw marks (hidasuki) and trailing natural ash glaze reminiscent of sesame seeds (nagare goma), both of which can only be achieved through meticulous wood-firing. Mori has spent decades avidly researching historical sherds and kiln sites for clues about historical firing techniques. His efforts to reconstruct the communal Great Kilns used by medieval Bizen ceramists have become a central component of his artistic legacy. Since 1980, Mori has constructed several climbing Great Kilns, including the 53-meter-long Sabukaze Great Kiln and the 85-meter-long New Sabukaze Great Kiln. In this exhibition, we are delighted to present works that were fired in these magnificent kilns.
Mori combines his unrivaled technical prowess with a keenly contemporary and sculptural sense of form. His curvilinear Banded Pattern vessels undulate with dynamic rhythm, while the sharp angles of his geometrically faceted vessels cast intriguing shadows across the surface of his clay. Earlier in his career, he also experimented with techniques not typically employed in Bizen ceramics, such as nerikomi marbleization and oxidized silver or platinum surface decorations, both of which he typically applied to low-fired earthenware. The resulting soft and porous texture of these works is reminiscent of ancient objects unearthed in an archeological dig, imbuing a sense of timelessness to these more experimental designs.
A truly unique ceramic artist, Mori Tōgaku has used his deep knowledge of Bizen ceramic techniques to bring an entirely contemporary expression of Bizen to life. Architect of the Bizen Renaissance offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the artist’s original approach to clay.
To accompany this important retrospective, we have published a fully illustrated catalogue, which features an introduction, scholarly essay by curator Kawakita Yūko, full-color plates of all works in the exhibition, artist biography, and selected references. The publication is available for purchase for $25 including domestic mailing.
To learn more, click here.
RECENT ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION
Six Celestials
ISHIGURO, KAMODA, KAWAI, OKABE, TANAKA S & TOMIMOTO
March 19 – April 24, 2026
For Asia Week New York, Joan B Mirviss LTD, in collaboration with Shibuya Kurodatoen, Co., LTD, presents Six Celestials, an exhibition featuring masterpieces by six artists whose seminal careers established the foundations of contemporary Japanese clay art. By placing their diverse bodies of work in conversation, the exhibition highlights the ways in which each of these twentieth-century icons helped pave the way for the emergence of Japanese ceramics as it exists today—one of the most dynamic and exciting fields of contemporary art.
Born as the nineteenth century drew to a close, three of the artists in this exhibition played critical roles ushering Japanese clay into the twentieth century. As the founder of the ceramics department at Kyoto City University of Arts and longtime professor, Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963) was a fierce advocate of individuality, a trait that is captured in his own elegantly formed and decorated porcelain vessels as well as in the diverse body of work that has been produced by his many students. The work of Ishiguro Munemaro (1893-1968) is bold and undeniably modern even as it was rooted in the ancient Chinese techniques that he dedicated his life to researching. In contrast with these contemporaries of his, both of whom were designated with the prestigious title of Living National Treasure for their work, Kawai Kanjirō (1890-1966) held true to the spirit of the Mingei (folk art) Movement he helped pioneer by eschewing official honors or recognition for his undisputed mastery of historical glazes.
As representatives of the next generation, the remaining three artists of this exhibition developed their ceramic legacies in the second half of the twentieth century. Though he studied the historical glazes of Shino, Oribe, and celadon, Okabe Mineo (1919-1990) breathed new life into these traditions with his innovative and entirely unique forms. With his ever-evolving palette of glazes, patterns, and forms, Kamoda Shōji (1933-1983) created some of the most evocative and sought-after works of the twentieth century. Finally, Tanaka Sajirō (b. 1937) continues to hone his skills in the art of wood-firing with natural glazes to create vibrant and contemporary works inspired by the historical tradition of Karatsu wares.
This exhibition features more than forty masterpieces equally distributed between these six artists, many of which have been exhibited and published in Japan. Works by these luminaries can be found in the collections of prominent museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Art Institute of Chicago, IL; National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.; National Museums of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Musée Tomo, Tokyo; Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN.
To accompany our landmark AWNY 2026 exhibition, we have published a fully illustrated catalogue, which features an introduction, full-color plates of all works in the exhibition, artist biographies, and selected references. The handsome publication is available for purchase for $25 including domestic mailing.
To learn more, click here.
Recent Acquisitions
We welcome you to view our recent acquisitions currently on view in the gallery and online.
To learn more, click here.
Videos of Zoom Gallery Talk
Couldn’t make it to one of our gallery talks or want to experience them again? We’re delighted to share that these sessions are now available to watch anytime on our site!
To view them now, click here.
About the Gallery
With more than forty-five years of experience, Joan B. Mirviss is a pillar in the field of Japanese art. As a dealer, scholar, curator, and advisor, she has been the driving force championing the top Japanese clay artists, who she represents exclusively, and whose works she has placed in major museums around the globe. Widely published as a highly respected expert, Mirviss has built many institutional and private collections of Japanese art. JOAN B MIRVISS LTD exhibits modern and contemporary Japanese ceramics, ukiyo-e, and Japanese paintings from its exclusive Madison Avenue location in New York City.
