Kawamoto Goro 河本五郎 1919-1986

This exhibition showcases the work of three groundbreaking Japanese ceramicists who, in mid-century Japan, boldly stepped beyond the traditional role of the craftsperson to create works that express an individualistic identity in their roles as artists. Their practices speak to a pivotal shift in the modern history of Japanese ceramics— distinct from the avant-garde movements Sodeisha and other sculptural movements— one in which the vessel form was reimagined as a form of high art. Each artist in the exhibition embodies this evolution in a distinct way, offering varied and compelling explorations of technique, form, and expression—defying easy categorization within any single genre of ceramic tradition.

Exhibiting artists:
Tsuboshima Dohei
Koinuma Michio
Kawamoto Goto

Tea drinking and its cultural practices have long been a universal expression of art and community. In the tea-drinking space, everything is connected: the tea drinker with their artfully crafted tea bowl, the ink painting adorning the wall, the host, and more. Tea offers a profound sense of gathering and shared experience through art.

This exhibition spotlights exquisite tea objects by master ceramic artists from Japan: tea bowls, water jars, tea caddies, as well as paintings by master potters who also practiced the art of calligraphy.