Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Pottery (841)

A deep tsutsu chawan by Omori Kenji in matte charcoal outside, soft, running pink within enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yakishime Chawan. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) diameter, 9-9.5 cm (3-1/2 -3-3/4 inhces) tall. As it does not have a foot ring, it is decidedly deep, perfect for a cold winter day, and the warm colors inside, combined with the steaming green tea, would be fabulous.
Omori Kenji was born in Saitama prefecture in 1982 In 2005 he graduated the Tokyo Zokei Daigaku Garden Design department, and followed up with two years at the Tajimi Technical institute Isshoken. He currently lives and works in Tajimi, concentrating on private exhibitions as his venue.

Like an abstract painting, ink seems to wash over the earthen colored surface of this delicate shallow bowl by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a wooden box titled Ao-sen Chawan. At first deceptive, upon turning the bowl upside down one sees a scribble of blue. Ao-sen means Blue Line, and those blue lines, thus the answer to why the bwl is titled blue line, are only isible once the tea has been finished. The bowl is 14 cm diameter (5-1/2 inches), 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and is in excellent condition, directly from the artists’ family and comes in a box signed by her brother Naoki.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under avant-garde Yagi Kazuo, graduating in 1979. Her first solo exhibitions were held while still a student at Gallery Iteza in Kyoto. She eschewed the world of competitive exhibitions in favor of the intimacy of private galleries, and her list of solo exhibitions is expansive. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 and 1988 at the Nihon Gendai Togeiten National Modern Ceramics Exhibition. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, the first issue dedicated to Kyoto potters. Toh was, at the time

What a joy to hold this igneous Guinomi by Atarashi Manabu, the stone like texture and form are a pleasure to the palm. It is covered in thick ash outside, pooling into crystalline shades on the surface outside, while the inside is largely left untouched, offering a view of the clay and a stark contrast between the inner and outer surfaces to enjoy visually. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Shinogi Guinomi. The vessel fits perfectly in the palm, roughly 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter and is in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Atarashi Manabu has been growing in popularity as one of the leaders in the Iga pottery tradition since the first time I saw his work nearly 20 years ago when visiting the family showroom in Iga village. Born in 1973 in Osaka son of the second generation artist and one of the leading revivalists of the Iga tradition in post war Japan, Atarashi Kanji. He graduated the literature department of Kansai University in 1995, moving to apprentice under his father a few years later. In 2002 he built his first anagama Kiln, and held his first of a multitude of solo exhibitions. Intensely fired multiple times to achieve the bidoro glass puddles and landscape effects which define his aesthetic, the geometric works add a contemporary sensibility to the traditional Iga style and transcend the realm of utilitarian crafts breaking into the sculptural domain. His work has proven innovative and challenging to the norm, taking his fathers tradition into the 21st century.

A fabulous large Mizusashi with a rugged, natural shape covered in cool blue and gray dusted with lavender by Hagi icon Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Yohen Kurinuki Mizusashi. It is roughly 23 x 21 x 22 cm (roughly a 9 inch cube) and is in excellent condition.
Kaneta Masanao likely needs no introduction, certainly one of Hagi’s most well-known and easily identifiable names. Although an eighth-generation potter inheriting an overtly conservative tradition, he has transcended limitations, and was one of the first to begin carrying Hagi into the 21st century. His work evokes a distinct tension between both function and form, and technique and tradition. he has been displayed both nationally and internationally innumerable times. His pieces are in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum and Museum of Modern Art Brooklyn. He has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten and Nihon Togei Ten among many many others.

Golden spikes stud the black bulb of this grungy chawan Tea bowl by Masatomo Toi. One of two unique works in this style we have nicknamed Sid and Vicious. The bowl is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter, 9.5 cm (just under 4 inches) tall and in perfect condition, directly from the artist. The price includes a signed wooden box.
Masatomo Toi was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1992, and graduated the Design course at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility in 2019. Since he has been developing his series of “Thorny” vessels and objects. At the same time he has been studying the way of tea and other traditional arts such as flower arrangement, and his use of negative space is masterful. His works have been featured in a number of group and juried exhibitions. He will soon depart Japan for a year of study and experimentation abroad, and we expect great things in his future.

A set of five dishes which my staff creams over by Yamaguchi Michie enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Momo Mame Sara. These live up to the word Kawaii so profound in contemporary Japanese pop culture. Each is roughly 15.5 x 17.5 cm (6 x 7 inches) ad all are in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Yamaguchi Michie was born in Aichi prefecture in 1964, and came to pottery at the age of 35, opening her studio in Nagoya in 2003. She first exhibited with the Nitten National Art Exhibition in 2008. In 2009 she was accepted into the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramic exhibition, where she has been subsequently awarded. That same year she was recipient of the Shorei-sho prize at the Kobe Biennale, and she entered for the first time the Womans Association of Ceramic Artists (WACA) Exhibition, receiving the T-shi prize. In 2011 she would be awarded at the Kikuchi Biennale, the 45th Female Artist Exhibition, as well as the Nihon Shin Kogeiten National New Crafts Exhibition. She would also first enter the International Ceramics Festival in Mino. 2012 saw her work awarded at the Mino Togei Shorokusho Chawan Ten Tea Bowl exhibition as well as the Mino Togei Ceramic Exhibition. In 2014 she was prized at the Hagi Taisho-ten show. She was awarded again in 2017 at the 43rd Mino Togeiten, and Governors prize at the 54th WACA Exhibition in 2020. In 2021 she was awarded the 43rd Nihon Shin Kogeiten New Crafts Exhibition, as well as the Kasama Togei Taishou Ten and in 2022 at the Tobi Ceramic Art Society of Japan Exhibition. She has taken part in ceramic events in Europe and Korea, and her work is held in the Toshin Ceramic Museum.

A brooding dark bowl blasted with color, a pool of green on one edge seeming to weep through to form a bead of murky green on the outside by Furutani Taketsohi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shizen-yu Guinomi. It is just over 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter 4.2 cm (1-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Furutani Taketoshi was born the son of master craftsman Furutani Hirofumi in 1974, graduating the Shigaraki Industrial High School Ceramics department in 1992 before entering the Shiga prefectural Ceramics Research Facility where he learned first Small Rokuro wheel technique, graduating the following year. In 1993 he would find himself under the tutelage of Suzuki Iwau before re-entering for a second course at the Research Facility, graduating in 1995. From then he returned to the family kiln where he learned in the time-honored tradition from both his grandfather Churoku I and father Hirofumi (Churokuk II). In 2013 he was named a Dento Kogeishi Traditional Craftsman. Since he has exhibited consistently at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Subverting the self, he makes simple, organic pots which have a timeless quality. As well he dares new forms and challenges the clay with innovative techniques, coercing from the pliable earth challenging incarnations very much rooted in the now, yet still paying homage to the traditions passed down through the ages.

A Brooding new sculpture fresh from the kiln this year by Yamaguchi Mio titled Cave. It is 25 x 23 x 40 cm (roughly 10 inches diameter, 16 inches tall) and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

Wide vibrant swatches of tangerine decorate this pouring vessel by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Shuchu (literally alcohol pourer). It is 11.5 x 14 x 8 cm and comes in a wooden box signed by her brother.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under Yagi Kazuo, graduating in 1979. Her first solo exhibitions were held while still a student, at Gallery Iteza in Kyoto. She eschewed the world of competitive exhibitions in favor of the intimacy of private galleries, and her list of solo exhibitions is expansive. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 and 1988 at the Nihon Gendai Togeiten. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, The first issue dedicated to Kyoto Potters. Toh was at the time the most in depth survey of important contemporary potters published in 1993. Her work is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Just as the coldest depths of winter are reached, after the chrysanthemum has given up and before the red or white plum is even consideration, the Ro-bai (yellow plum) is the first to step up and say the cold will not last forever, opening its dusty yellow blossoms to the harsh winter sky. This dainty looking five lobed sake cup embodies that spirit, appearing frail, but built of sturdy Seto clay with thick, hardy petals. It is by Tokugawa Hiroshi and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ki-Seto Hai, complete with Shifuku and Shiori.
Tokugawa Hiroshi graduated the Gifu Prefetural Industrial High School in 2002, studying under Living National Treasure Kato Kozo. He moved to Kakegawa City in Shizuoka in 2008, opening a kiln there in 2010. He has exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Crafts Exhibition, Mino Togeiten regional Exhibition, Kikuchi Biennale, Gendai Chato-ten (Modern Tea Ware) Exhibition as well as several international exhibitions garnering a number of prizes along the way and in 2017 his work was collected by the Imperial family.

Rare aubergine colors underlies the foggy surface of this beautiful deep bowl by Murakoshi Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Take-hai-yu chawan (bamboo ash glaze chawan). From his most recent firing, he has only a small amount of this Bamboo ash, and when it is gone, that is all. Slightly out of round, it is 12 to 13.5 cm diameter, 9 cm tall.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

A large Namako Glazed Tea Bowl by Kashima Aya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The technique is deceptively complex. In fact, the initial form is created, then a thin layer of ceramic is made separately, dried, then cracked, and the individual pieces are applied like mosaic to the prepared form. The space in between the tiles is then abraded, the tiles glazed with color and the space n between glazed with iron. Each piece requires a great amount of painstaking dedication to complete. It is 13.5 cm (5-1/4 inches) diameter, 9.5 cm (just under 4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Kashima Aya was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1987. She graduated the Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, Department of Arts and Culture in 2010. She graduated the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute Design Course in 2020, with an additional two years in their advanced Ceramic Lab, graduating in 2022. During this time, she took part in many group exhibitions. She received Nyusen status at the 55th Women's Association of Ceramic Artists (WACA) Exhibition in 2021. In 2023 her work was selected for presentation at the “Ceramic Synergy Exhibition” held at the Kyoto Kyocera Museum of Art.

Colors of the four seasons splash and mingle like a bright and textured tempest on this handled sake server (correctly called Te-tsuki Kata-kuchi) by Murakoshi Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shunju Shuchu. The handle is offset to the spout, which at first seems counterintuitive, but works out perfect when pouring. Our man Takuma has done his share of research into the ways of drinking (he prefers shochu these days), and this understanding and unusual approach explains why his shows, mostly made up of pottery for use, quite often sell out to restaurants and izakaya, cementing his legendary status in that market. This katakuchi is in no way mild mannered, measuring 19 x 14 x 15 cm (7-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist this spring.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

A contemporary Shigaraki Yunomi Cup in Natural Ash Glaze by Furutani Taketoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shizen-yu Yunomi. It is 7 x 7 x 7 cm (3 x 3 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Furutani Taketoshi was born the son of master craftsman Furutani Hirofumi in 1974, graduating the Shigaraki Industrial High School Ceramics department in 1992 before entering the Shiga prefectural Ceramics Research Facility where he learned first Small Rokuro wheel technique, graduating the following year. In 1993 he would find himself under the tutelage of Suzuki Iwau before re-entering for a second course at the Research Facility, graduating in 1995. From then he returned to the family kiln where he learned in the time-honored tradition from both his grandfather Churoku I and father Hirofumi (Churoku II). In 2013 he was named a Dento Kogeishi Traditional Craftsman. Since he has exhibited consistently at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Subverting the self, he makes simple, organic pots which have a timeless quality. As well he dares new forms and challenges the clay with innovative techniques, coercing from the pliable earth challenging incarnations very much rooted in the now, yet still paying homage to the traditions passed down through the ages.

This odd squat bottle, with the sake cup resting on top, reminds me of images of the itinerant Buddhist Monk Taneda Santoka who wandered Japan in the pre-war era, his black robes flowing down around his bundled form, fueled by drink and composing poems. Here he is found, bamboo Kasa hat pulled down over his eyes, dozing off along the trailside. This Tokkuri and Guinomi are by Murakoshi Takuma, a cherubic poet in clay also fueled by his love for wine and given to wandering. The cup is 9 x 8.5 x 5 cm (2 inches tall) the Tokkuri 11 cm diameter 13 cm (5 inches) tall. Both are in excellent condition, directly from the artist, enclosed in the original signed wooden box.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

A chawan decorated with dramatic geometrics by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Square Triangle Circle Chawan. The brushwork is clearly spontaneous, as the best of the Zen artists of centuries past. Lines scored into the surface are improviso, the entire impulsive without being overbearing, freehand and spur of the moment. There is no sense of premeditation. The bowl is 14.5 cm diameter, 8 cm tall and in excellent condition enclosed in a box annotated by her nephew.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under Yagi Kazuo, graduating in 1979. Her first solo exhibitions were held while still a student, at Gallery Iteza in Kyoto. She eschewed the world of competitive exhibitions in favor of the intimacy of private galleries, and her list of solo exhibitions is expansive. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 and 1988 at the Nihon Gendai Togeiten. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, The first issue dedicated to Kyoto Potters. Toh was at the time the most in depth survey of important contemporary potters published in 1993. Her work is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

A breathtaking swirling platter by important contemporary Shino artist Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Manyosai Zuimaki Ita Shiho-zara (Four-sided Slab Dish with Myriad Leaves Color Tornado). This Manyosai glaze is the artists unique forte and one of many important additions he has made over the years to the world od Mino pottery. The thick slab is 40 x 32 cm (16 x 12-1/2 inches) and stands up to 10 cm (4 inches) tall; in excellent condition.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering regular employment upon graduating high school, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. He established his own kiln in 1974. Since then his list of exhibitions and awards has been amazing, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Governors Prize and five times winner of Best of Show at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and Best of Show at Gifu Prefectural Exhibition. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

A spectacular large vase by Kashima Aya featured at the “Ceramic Synergy Exhibition” held at the Kyoto Kyocera Museum of Art in late 2023. In fact, the initial form is created, then a thin layer of ceramic is made separately, dried, then cracked, and the individual pieces are applied like mosaic to the prepared form. The space in between the tiles is then abraded, the tiles glazed with color and the space n between glazed with iron. Each piece requires a great amount of painstaking dedication to complete. It is 26 cm (10 inches) diameter, 52.5 cm (20-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes in a signed wooden box with a copy of the Museum exhibition pamphlet upon which it is visible.
Kashima Aya was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1987. She graduated the Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, Department of Arts and Culture in 2010. She graduated the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute Design Course in 2020, with an additional two years in their advanced Ceramic Lab, graduating in 2022. During this time, she took part in many group exhibitions. She received Nyusen status at the 55th Women's Association of Ceramic Artists (WACA) Exhibition in 2021.