HERITAGEContemporary

Japanese Ceramics

Heritage – Works by Contemporary Japanese Artists

Japanese artists, over centuries, have sought to capture genuine beauty by incorporating techniques, sensibilities, and attention to detail with materials of all kinds influenced by their historic roots. This process creates an incessant tension between the old and the new—traditional restrictions hang heavily, while individual artists seek new ways to express contemporary life. New forms, colors and designs from this struggle, never cease to fascinate us.

“Heritage” shows works and techniques from different generations. The works of father and son or daughter, master and pupil, are exhibited side by side to demonstrate how cultural heritage is passed on from one generation to the next. The viewer travels in time and becomes witness to an evolution in art, an inheritance in skills and talents, an undeniable familial bond and influence, and the artists’ individual triumphs which are at once unique and steeped in history.

To promote Japanese traditional art and culture to a younger generation, extraordinarily talented living artists are designated by the Japanese government as holders of Important Intangible Cultural Property (so called “Living National Treasures”). These artists play an important role in the Japanese art craft world to transcend their historic legacy.

Onishi Gallery has dedicated itself to introducing this dynamic interplay to an international audience in New York City since opening in 2005. We accomplished this by exhibiting various artists’ works in groups and by organizing lectures led by Living National Treasures. We strive to be the leading center for Japanese contemporary art in Chelsea and hope to engage others to discover, learn, and find joy in our exhibitions.

I extend my sincere gratitude to Mr. Yoshita Minori, the Chairman of TOBI, the Ceramic Art Society of Japan, for our second year in collaborating for participation of Asia Week New York, and the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. for their support in holding our exhibition, and lastly Ms. Todate Kazuko for her significant contribution to the exhibition’s press release.

ONISHI Nana Director, Onishi Gallery

Inheriting Heritage: The Power of Hands-on Art based on Material and Process

Over the past decade, contemporary Japanese crafts have received considerable attention overseas as well as at home. Japanese crafts including dyeing, natural lacquer work, metalworking, woodworking, and bamboo craft—which is more appreciated in the United States than it is in Japan—arose in the unique natural environment and climate of Japan, and over the centuries an enormously abundant range of materials and techniques has evolved. Among the art forms, pottery and ceramics stand out as perhaps the most richly expressive of all, with a history stretching back approximately 13,000 years and a truly diverse pantheon of artists working in the medium.

Simply beholding, all together, the works of the artists featured in the current exhibition gives the viewer a visceral sense of the sheer diversity of styles and schools that exist. There is yakishime (high-fired unglazed stoneware), Shino ware (stoneware coated with Shino glaze), hakuji (white porcelain), and iroejiki (porcelain with multicolored overglaze). Some ceramicists make heavy use of glazes while others find unique and expressive ways of using gold and silver. Each artist grapples earnestly with the materials he or she has chosen, and places the techniques that he or she has mastered in the service of creative expression. Since around 1990, I have referred to the works born of this stance adopted by Japanese ceramicists and craftspeople as “Hands-on Art based on material and process.” This fundamental underlying principle is common to all Japanese ceramics and crafts.

What I mean by “Hands-on Art based on material and process” is creative expression through sustained hands-on engagement with a certain material, and command of technique, not merely the transient use of whatever material and technique happen to be close at hand. It means absorbing, in one’s own way, the heritage of materials and techniques that have accumulated over many centuries of ceramics history, and adding new interpretations and ingenuity to turn them into vehicles for creative expression. Behind each piece lies a vast depth of history and heritage. For example, the yakishime works of Isezaki Jun stand on the shoulders of eight centuries of Bizen ware history, while the porcelain pieces of Yoshita Minori incorporate the 350-year history of Kutani ware, particularly the past 50 years in which the yuri-kinsai (glazed gold leaf

over the surface) technique was developed. Each artist both diligently studies the relevant history and skillfully interprets it in his or her own original fashion, producing ceramic works unlike anything seen in the past. This, and not mere imitation of the past, is the true meaning of “inheriting heritage.” Another important recent development is the emergence of female ceramics masters, such as Tokuda Yasokichi IV, in what has historically been a realm of patriarchal tradition.

The majority of works in this current exhibition can be called vessels in the broad sense of the word. They feature hollow spaces, as containers should, and can be employed as vases if the user so wishes. However, they are able to stand on their own without flowers, and in fact the vessels themselves are as beautiful and spectacular as any flower. A great many of the artists featured here exemplify the notion of Japanese ceramics as “the pure art of the vessel itself.” This philosophy implies that ceramics and crafts in our living spaces are worthy of appreciation from a purely aesthetic standpoint, like painting or sculpture. However, they do not satisfy only the visual sense but also the tactile, inviting the beholder to touch them and relish their texture and materiality. Ceramics and crafts can be companions, intimate and irreplaceable elements of our daily lives. In this sense these art forms—ceramics and crafts—are the ones tied most closely and inseparably to the human heart.

TODATE Kazuko Art critic and member of the International Academy of Ceramics

Acknowledgement

I observe that contemporary Japanese crafts are evolving in the world. It is particularly noticeable in ceramics art.

Nowadays ceramic artists painstakingly pursue refined beauty. Some artists struggle to mold the natural elements to their desires, some push against century-long traditional techniques, others prefer to reinvent original media and practice.

Contemporary ceramic artists are always subjected to extremely competitive environments and critical reviews in numerous public auditions every year. Thus, these intense circumstances serve as the driving force for them to ingenerate various forms, designs, colors and textures.

The history of ceramics is deeply connected to the history of Japan and has been often discussed, especially that of the Middle Ages to the modern period. The aesthetic that was conceived during these times is becoming more prominent when rendered by contemporary artists’ skills and sensibilities.

However, I regret to say that we have not put in our best effort to introduce and promote Japanese ceramics internationally in the past. It is our aspiration to find more exhibition venues abroad.

I am deeply grateful for this occasion to present to the public the zeitgeist of contemporary Japanese ceramics from varied perspectives, techniques, and depictions. I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the Embassy of Japan, Onishi Gallery, and all the staff members who have contributed to make this exhibition possible.

YOSHITA Minori Chairman of TOBI, the Ceramic Art Society of Japan

Living National Treasure

YOSHITA Minori (1932–)

The Yoshita family is in charge of the Nishikiyama kiln, which specializes in aka-e kinrande, a highly decorative porcelain tradition using gold and red enamel painting in brocade-patterns of Kutani wares in 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 numerous traditional techniques characteristic to the Nishikiyama Kiln while refining them in innovative ways.

The artist is recognized for his graceful application of yuri-kinsai, an under-glazed gold decorative porcelain. This method was developed in the 1960’s in Kanazawa. Gold-leaf cut-outs in patterns are applied prior to glazes, rather than by the traditional process of painting patterns in gold pigments by brush. His technique is a perfect marriage of the elegant Kutani porcelain tradition with kinpaku or gold-leaf, a highly prized local product from Kaga domain, Ishikawa. This method opened up a new frontier in the world of gold-colored porcelain in Japan. Yoshita is regarded as the leading figure in this field . In 2001, he was awarded the Medal of Purple Ribbon and was designated a Living National Treasure.

Vase with sarasa patterns, 2012; porcelain with gold underglaze; h. 13 1/4 x dia. 12 1/2 inches (33.5 x 31.5 cm)

Isezaki Jun, the second son of potter Isezaki Yōzan, 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. He is the fifth artist of Bizen pottery to be designated a Living National Treasure by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Isezaki brings back the traditional kiln form the anagama, that is dug into a hillside like a tunnel. Of significance in Bizen pottery production is the yakishime style glaze, glazes that are the results of 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. Even as an experienced potter, the artist cannot completely 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 results 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 have been exhibited and collected by major museums in the world such as by the British Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Black Rectangular Platter, 2012; stoneware;h. 2 1/2 x w. 21 x d. 10 1/2 inches (6 x 53.5 x 26.5 cm)

ISEZAKI Jun (1936– )

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, the fourteenth generation head of the Kakiemon family, specializes in porcelains that demonstrate strong compositional motifs. He trained in Nihonga, a style of Japanese 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 was designated a Living National Treasure for his excellence in over-glazed 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 beauty of Kakiemon porcelains lies not only in the finished product. The appeal of Kakiemon is in the perfect balance between the richly colored and delicately executed enamel paintings against the pristine white grounds of 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 the 18th century, Kakiemon’s porcelain production came to a halt. It was Kakiemon XIII, Sakaida Kakiemon’s father, who succeeded in reviving the family tradition. In 1955, the nigoshide technique was designated an Intangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government.

SAKAIDA Kakiemon XIV (1934–2013)

Nigoshide white container with cherry blossom patterns, 2012; porcelain; h. 4 3/4 x dia. 10 inches (12 x 25.7 cm)

Water jar with snow flower and chrysanthemum patterns, 2012; porcelain with iro-e polychrome enamel painting with light sumi and sumi-hajiki; h. 7 3/4 x dia. 5 1/2 inches (19.5 x 13.6 cm)

IMAIZUMI Imaemon XIV (1962– )

Iro-Nabeshima, a polychrome, enamel painted porcelain, was developed during the Edo period (1615–1868), under the support of Nabeshima domain in current-day Saga prefecture. Highly praised for its 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 14th 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 dying 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 over-glaze 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 as snowflakes.

Plate Kamon (Floral), 2000; porcelain with vivid colored glaze (yôsai);h. 4 x dia. 22 inches (10 x 55.5 cm)

Tokuda Yasokichi III was one of the world’s most famous of Kutani potters. Born in Ishikawa prefecture, he was designated a Living National Treasure in 1997 for his mastery of the saiyu 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 techniques, Yasokichi III created his own design characterized by delicate shading and the beautiful color contrasts of his vivid enamel glazes.

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 Japanese government (1993).

TOKUDA Yasokichi III (1933–2009)

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 with saiyu glazing whereby the arrangements and gradations of color play a central role in the ornamentation, rather than with 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.

Shōmura Hisaki studied industrial chemistry in college and eventually attended Arita College of Ceramics before working at his family kiln under his father Shōmura Ken. Shirotae-ji represents works through which the artist seeks to perfect the silky white hue of porcelain. To create subtle designs only using the color white, he experiments with transparent glazes and simple patterns. As an emerging young artist from Arita, he has already won numerous awards at competitions such as the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition and has held solo exhibitions in various cities in Japan

Silky white vase, 2013; porcelain; h. 8 3/4 x dia. 17 1/2 inches (22 x 44.5 cm)

SHŌMURA Hisaki (1974– )

Bowl Suicho (Crystalline Green), 2013; porcelain with vivid colored glaze (yôsai); h. 2 1/2 x dia. 20 1/2 inches (6 x 52 cm)

TOKUDA Yasokichi IV (1961– )

Mizuno Mineo came to the US from Japan at the age of 19 and studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles with Ralph Bacerra (1938–2008), a ceramic artist whose works are known for the vivid use of contrasting colors. Mizuno is drawn to ceramics because it allows him to directly connect to the materials he works with, by both touch and intuition. For the past 40 years, he has been making refined ceramic sculptures, creating new forms in clay that combine elements from the various disciplines he has worked in including painting, sculpture, and architecture. He is recognized internationally as a leader in contemporary ceramics. Unlike other ceramists who may draw inspirations from more earthly tones, Mizuno uses the full spectrum of colors found in nature from the bright hues with various nuances to the dark and monochromatic. His layering of colors compliments the surface by making it appear fuller and multidimensional, without overwhelming the vessel’s form. Over the past decade, his works display a preoccupation with water, a fluid that constantly changes and refuses to be grasped or captured; his sculptures deny any practicality and remain elusive, fragile, and elegant. Mizuno currently resides in New York and has taken on new artistic endeavors in film and photography.

Many of Mizuno’s work have been owned privately as well as by major museums including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Teardrops – Winter, 2011; ceramic;approx. h. 60 x dia. 17 inches (153 x 43.5 cm)

MIZUNO Mineo (1944– )

Born into the Yoshita family of porcelain artists and as the son of Yoshita Minori, a Living National Treasure, Yukio forged an independent style in his works that echoes traditional Kutani over-glaze techniques of his native Kanazawa and at the same time 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 amongst 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 over-glaze gold 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, Indiana.

Vase, 2012; porcelain with enamel and gold in the kinran-de style; h. 7 3/8 x dia. 16 3/8 inches (18.5 x 41.5 cm)

YOSHITA Yukio (1960– )

Blue Bizen vessel with white clay patterns, 2013; stoneware; h. 13 x dia. 18 inches (33 x 46 cm)

Suzuki Miki was born in Bizen, Okayama and is the oldest son of the distinguished ceramist Suzuki Kōichi (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 his 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 application of white clay to the blue surface, 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.

SUZUKI Miki (1970– )

Born in Kumamoto, one of the most southern prefectures in Japan, Maeda Hideo grew up surrounded by lush greenery. He combines his knowledge of printmaking and inlay techniques to create ceramic wares with intricate geometric designs.

The repetitive patterns seem endless like a brook running through rocky mountains or ripples that emerge onto the surface of a serene lake. Maeda’s aesthetic is inspired by nature, leaning towards earthly and neutral tones such as ochre, charcoal black, and white sand. The potteries are molded in the spirit of wabi-sabi, embracing the object’s simplicity, austerity, and modesty.

Maeda is highly respected for the execution of his original oxidized inlay techniques. He has received many awards for his accomplishments and his works have been featured in numerous exhibitions such as at the Kumamoto Prefectural Craft Museum, Daimaru Department Store, and Tsuruya, among others.

Flower vessel with geometric pattern, 2013; stoneware with inlay h. 16 1/2 x dia. 11 7/8 inches (42 x 30 cm)

MAEDA Hideo (1943– )

Tsutsui Hiroaki’s career as a ceramic artist stems from his life-long fascination with celadons. After his first apprenticeship in Kutani ware production, Tsutsui moved to Kyoto in 1967 to study with the acclaimed ceramic artists Shimizu Uichi (1926–2004) and Kawase Mitsuyuki (1933– ). In 1980, he opened his own kiln in the Hotaka Mountain region of Nagano, where he continued to experiment and seek mastery of porcelains. His wide-ranging oeuvre results from his exploration with various techniques and expressions in porcelain, including hoko-saiji or polychrome porcelain, which employs matt glazes and shallow relief techniques. His other specialty is celadon work in clean and sharp forms composed of curves. By combining the traditional mokuri-mon, or wood grain patterns, and soft colored celadon glazes with those forms, he is able to juxtapose softness and sharpness in his porcelains.

His works have been featured at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, National Museum of Modern Arts, Tokyo, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, and others.

Inspired by the abundance of nature surrounding his studio in the majestic Yatsugatake Mountains in Yamanashi prefecture, Tsuruta recreates fantastic landscapes on the surface of his simple monochrome vessels. The artist successfully renders natural scenes into abstract forms in a symbolic and austere way in his works, with the gradation of monotone colors and snow- or sand-like textures. He composes images, not by painting directly with the brush, but by indirectly applying white diluted engobes in simple belt shapes onto a gray base multiple times, by the meticulous manipulation of masking tape.

Tsuruta has held solo exhibitions in Japan at venues such as the Ginza Matsuya Department Store and his works are widely collected by private collectors in the United States. In 2013, his work became part of the permanent collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Celadon vase with floral windmill pattern, 2014; porcelain; h. 4 1/4 x dia. 18 1/8 inches (10.8 x 46 cm)

TSUTSUI Hiroaki (1951– )TSURUTA Yoshitaka (1956– )

Monochrome Work 31, 2012; stoneware with engobe; h. 4 3/4 x dia. 19 1/4 inches (12 x 49 cm)

Okugawa was born in Arita, the town where Korean potters produced the first porcelain wares in Japan in the late 16th century. The porcelains of Arita also gained its greatest popularity through export products to Europe by the end of the 17th century. Okugawa’s family has been devoted to making porcelain vessels with pride and dignity like the other families who work in porcelains in his neighborhood.

Shun’emon became an independent potter in 1979, following an apprenticeship with the master of porcelain pottery, Okugawa Chūemon. The artist continues to explore the beauty of white and celadon porcelain wares regardless of the established reputation of his family. His works achieve an intriguing sense of warmth in contrast to the conventional idea of sleek porcelain ware. Shun’emon’s milky white porcelain surfaces evoke intimacy and tranquility. Not only do his vessels carry strong visual appeal, but they also possess a tactile supremacy developed through his decades-long pursuit of Arita wares.

Shun’emon received a Yellow Medal in 2005, and his works have been featured in numerous exhibitions in Japan and in major cities around the world including London, Shanghai, and Berlin. His work is in the collection of the British Museum.

Peter Hamann has been a resident of Japan for more than 30 years although he was born in Nebraska and first studied ceramics in the United States. Upon his arrival in Japan, he learned about ceramics and was introduced to chanoyu or the Japanese tea ceremony. After his diligent studies of tea in the Yabuuchi style with the master Fukuda Chikuyu, he obtained the license to teach chanoyu in 2010. At the annual tea ceremony he holds in his traditional Japanese-style residence in the Tanba region of Hyōgo where he also established his kiln, the artist welcomes more than 200 guests with tea and shows his own ceramic works. Thus his creation of ceramics is strongly connected to his tea ceremony practice; Hamann believes that the appreciation and respect for objects of quality that chanoyu teaches is an important aspect of Japanese culture. Hamann also believes in the practical utility of the vessels he creates.

The artist specializes in refined carved porcelain works. His own interpretation of the medium developed over time since his early encounters of his career as a ceramist. Hamann’s recent works show that the bold curvilinear patterns of the works themselves have in turn affected and transformed the vessels’ shapes.

His works have been recognized at juried shows such as the Traditional Japanese Art Crafts exhibitions. In 1996 he joined the prestigious Japan Art Crafts Association and remains its only Western member.

White Porcelain Incense Burner, 2012; porcelain; h. 4 5/8 x dia. 2 7/8 inches (11 x 7.2 cm)

OKUGAWA Shun’emon (1949– )

Blue-White Porcelain Vase, 2007; porcelain;h. 10 7/8 x dia. 12 1/2 inches (27.3 x 31.8 cm)

Peter Mark HAMANN (1956– )

Born and raised in Kanazawa, a historical town considered the Kyoto of northwestern Japan, Yoshida gained recognition with her Murasaki Shikibu monyō (patterns inspired by Murasaki Shikibu, the eleventh century Japanese poet, lady-in-waiting of the imperial court, and author of The Tales of Genji). The patterns on Yoshida’s vessels are leaves on branches in black and white colors, which the artist generously draws on the surfaces of white porcelain plates and vases. The sumptuous drawings of the leaves are accented with colors of traditional Kutani wares—bold yellow, deep green, dark red, ultramarine, and eggplant purple—as if they are her personal and contemporary interpretation of centuries-old traditional Kutani wares from Kanazawa.

After graduating from Kanazawa College of Art, with a B.F.A. in ceramics, Yoshida worked as a director of marketing development for a department store for four years. She started exhibiting her work in 1987 and has since been actively showing her works in galleries and department stores in Japan. Yoshida was chosen as a guest scholar at Wedgewood, United Kingdom, in 2008, where a candle holder and tea bowl by her are included in their permanent collection.

YOSHIDA Hiroko (1955– )

Bowl with Murasakishikibu Pattern “Kanade,” 2012; porcelain;h. 7 1/2 x dia. 20 inches (19 x 51 cm)

Mochizuki Shū was born in Tokyo and studied ceramics at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts. A Tokyo native, he also built his first kiln there. His signature ceramic works are decorated with red paintings called akae, 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, has long been adored by ceramic collectors and connoisseurs. The artist adds to this traditional red hue by using more brick reds in order to depict seasonal flowers by highlighting their freshness. On its milky white surface, the glaze holds characteristic feldspar spots achieved by the miraculous firing process in the kiln. The clay, made from the artist’s original recipe, peeks through the glaze, giving the vessels a lively, organic, and earthly aesthetic.

Mochizuki has held solo exhibitions at many galleries, including at the Tokyo Mitsukoshi Department Gallery. His Flattened Vase with Lotus Flowers is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Art and Design, New York.

MOCHIZUKI Shū (1960– )

Flattened vase with red plum blossom design, 2013; stoneware;h. 23 1/2 x w. 12 x dia. 4 1/2 inches (59.5 x 30.3 x 11.1 cm)

Koyama Kōichi studied ceramics at Tamagawa University. He set up his kiln Ryūsen-yō 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 over-glaze 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 by applying them in innovative ways using chloride fluid, the artist is able to achieve the creation of original ceramic works, 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 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Hotate Tsuyoshi was born in Chiba prefecture and studied at Chuo University. He established his kiln within the outskirts of the Tokyo metropolitan area. In his various forms such as vases and plates, the artist applies inlays of neutral colored strips over soft gray surfaces. A unique characteristic in his works is the use of clay that contains metal that turns into different gradients of black upon firing. Since the base of the clay is black, the grey does not appear intrusive but remains subtle. His abstract designs showing the delicate transition from a dark hue to light gray and then to white, are inspired from the sky after a storm, when the sun lightly illuminates white and grey clouds. By using various firing methods and tools such as a sponge, he is also able to give the surface of his works unique textures; patterns are created by shaving the surfaces and applying inlays of colored clay.

Hotate has exhibited his works at the Japan Traditional Art Crafts and at the Japan Fine Arts exhibitions. The artist has received numerous awards in Japan, including a recent prize at the Kikuchi Biennale, one of the most prestigious competitions for contemporary ceramicists in Japan.

Square plate with geometric pattern, 2012; stoneware;h. 3 1/2 x dia. 15 3/4 inches (8.5 x 40 cm)

KOYAMA Kōichi (1960– )

Bowl with colored inlay, 2013; stoneware;h. 6 x dia. 22 3/4 inches (15.2 x 57.8 cm)

HOTATE Tsuyoshi (1962– )

Exhibition Schedule

Upper East Side, NYC HERITAGE: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics and Other Interior Objects March 14–March 22, 2014 Opening Reception : Friday, March 14, 5:30–8 pm On View : March 14, 10 am–5:30 pm; March 15–16, 11 am–5 pm; March 17–22, 10 am–6 pm, and by appointment Address : Hollis Taggart Galleries, 958 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10021 TEL : 917.214.8108

Chelsea, NYC Maeda Hideo: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Mizuno Mineo: 23577 x Zero March 13–29, 2014 Opening Reception : Thursday, March 13, 6–8 pm On View : March 13–29, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 am–6 pm Address : Onishi Gallery, 521 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001 TEL : 212.695.8035

Washington D.C. Contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Living National Treasures and Other Masters April 10–26, 2014 On View : April 10–26, Monday–Sunday, 9 am–5 pm Address : Embassy of Japan in the United States of America 1150 18th Street NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036 TEL : 202.238.6900

Contact Nana Onishi / Onishi Gallery 212.695.8035 / 917.214.8108 Onishi Gallery, 521 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001 nana@onishigallery.com www.onishigallery.com

Photo credit Sakaida Kakiemon XIV, Yoshita Minori,

Isezaki Jun, Imaizumi Imaemon XIV,

Shomura Hisaki, Yoshita Yukio

and Yoshida Hiroko

by Aoyagi Satoshi / Noda Kohichi

Tokuda Yasokichi III

by Ken Collins

521 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001T 212 695 8035 / info@onishigallery.comwww.onishigallery.com