Dai Ichi Arts is pleased to present Oribe Today, an exhibition of contemporary Japanese artists working in this revered tradition, October 14-31. The show is planned to coincide with an exhibition of historical Oribe from the Gifu Prefecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also scheduled for October. The juxtaposition of the two shows will enable collectors and connoisseurs to better appreciate and assess the similarities and differences in historical Oribe and its contemporary manifestations.

The Oribe style has long been a touchstone and reference point for Japanese ceramic artists. The exhibition at Dai Ichi is comprised of both quiet, elegant works that emulate Momoyama examples, and whimsical interpretations that evoke both appreciation and a smile. This group show highlights work by such well-known artists as Goro SUZUKI, Shugo TAKAUCHI, Shotaro HAYASHI, Kiheiji TAKIGUCHI, Ryoji KOIE, Toshisada WAKAO, and Shigemasa HIGASHIDA.

Goro SUZUKI, the wonderful, whimsical master of Oribe, is represented by a selection of chairs (including one life-size example); Tea kettle; Black Oribe tea bowl; Tebachi (handled basket); and Manaitazara (large rectangular platters). The large Oribe chair is a masterpiece. The ladder back is green-glazed, with a bright orange backrest made of a torn piece of clay. The seat is swirled clay, accented with a deep green Oribe glaze. Almost 36 inches tall, the chair is very comfortable to sit in, though getting up the courage to try it takes some work. A smaller chair (about 16 inches tall) is sculptural and humorous. The ivory-colored clay of the chair back is enlivened with a drawing of a black cat playing with a ball of yarn and a light bulb. A hole is punched through to the reverse side. The swirled and stacked forms that make up the feet and legs give the chair a comical, almost knock-kneed, appearance. The reverse of the chair is decorated with loosely-brushed concentric black circles. Goro's playfulness and skillful execution extend to his monumental, oversized Manaitazara with its sensitive drawing of Fuji-san with windblown pampas grass in the foreground; his high-energy Tebachi; and a monstrously-large tea kettle in green and orange that is just... outrageous! 

In contrast, Kiheiji TAKIGUCHI's work is Moyoyama renaissance. Humble, yet distinctive, it is work that will stand the test of time. The craftsmanship is impeccable, the work of a true artisan fully in control of his craft and needing neither drama nor narrative to hold the eye of the observer.

Similarly, Toshisada WAKAO, the consummate craftsman, is also a Moyoyama traditionalist. He achieves an exquisite balance between the green-glazed areas on his pieces and the raw clay reserves enlivened with iron-painted designs in floral and lattice motifs. 

We are very pleased to be able to offer works by Shotaro HAYASHI, a very important artist, a celebrity in fact, with two beautiful houses in Gifu Prefecture, where he is acknowledged as a holder of Intangible Cultural Property for Toki City. Shotaro works in Oribe and Shino styles and has shows lined up through 2006. His large plate is a dramatic swirl of clay, all about energy and gesture. 

Friends and visitors to Dai Ichi know of our enthusiasm for the work of Shigemasa HIGASHIDA, and we are pleased to include him among our Oribe artists with one of his much-admired landscape boxes. Working predominantly in Oribe and Shino styles, Higashida has received numerous awards and solo shows throughout Japan. His Oribe work is characterized by the lushness and vibrancy of his glazes, which pool and flow in variegated splendor across his dramatic plates and monumental boxes. Ranging from fresh spring green to turquoise, the glaze animates his dynamic surfaces, which recall mountainous landscapes, vernal pools, treks and pilgrimages. 

Ryoji KOIE is the enfant terrible of potters, whose absolute dedication to his own quirky individuality serves him well. Dai Ichi will show two large jars with Oribe glaze and Ryoji's signature cuts and slashes, and a small organically-curved serving plate.

There is an implicit challenge Shugo TAKAUCHI's work. The work is very macho and full of energy, just like the artist. Shugo throws down a gauntlet, as it were, and challenges the viewer's preconceived notions. His teapot, for example, is really much too large to actually work as a teapot or is it? Once you have seen this muscular form, do you really want to return to dainty tea things? He makes you recast your idea of "teapot." Just as he cuts through preconceptions, he cuts through the clay with force and assurance, leaving irregular facets over the body of the teapot, which he highlights with glaze pools and lively iron decoration. The spout rises and twists like a sea serpent, the handle commands to be taken in hand, the lid surprises with its delicate knob, formed "just so" to create a natural resting place for the fingers.

The variety of old Oribe examples, their lightheartedness and beauty, are fertile sources of inspiration for contemporary artists, who renew and extend the tradition with their own creativity and skill. We encourage you to visit both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Gallery Dai Ichi Arts this October to immerse yourself in this ancient and ever-young ceramic style.