Kaneta Masanao VIII 八代 兼田昌尚
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Kaneta Masanao (b. 1953) is the eighth-generation head of the Tenchōzan kiln in Hagi, continuing a ceramic lineage that extends back approximately two centuries. Although raised within this distinguished pottery tradition, Kaneta first pursued sculpture, completing postgraduate study at the University of Tsukuba in 1979. He subsequently returned to Hagi to train in ceramics under his father, Kaneta Sanzaemon VII, and succeeded him as head of the family kiln in 2005. Today, he is an instantly recognizable figure in contemporary Hagi ceramics.
Kaneta brings a sculptor’s sensitivity to mass, balance, movement, and negative space to the inherited language of Hagi ware. Rather than relying on the potter’s wheel, he frequently employs kurinuki, a process in which a solid mass of clay is hollowed, scraped, pinched, and carved into shape. This direct method preserves the physical record of the artist’s engagement with the material: tool marks, abrupt ridges, and irregular planes become integral elements of the completed form.
In this flower vessel, broad facets and sharp transitions give the compact, asymmetrical form a geological identity, as though it had been quarried from rock rather than modeled from clay. A creamy white Hagi glaze softens the carved planes and develops delicate blushes of pink during firing. The glaze envelops the body but stops above the foot, leaving the warm clay exposed at the base. This unglazed passage visually grounds the vessel while setting the luminous surface above it into relief. Across the form, the glaze pools in recesses and thins along raised edges, heightening the interplay of light, texture, and volume.
Featured on the bottom is a kamakizu, or kiln scar, developed during the firing process. Rather than being disregarded as damage, in Japanese aesthetics, kamakizu emphasizes the feeling of wabi-sabi, adding to the keshiki, or landscape, of the work.
Although functional in conception, the vessel possesses the commanding presence of an autonomous sculpture. Its opening invites a floral arrangement, yet its weight, shifting silhouette, and strongly articulated surface remain equally compelling when the object is empty. In this carefully sustained balance between utility and sculptural independence, Kaneta renews the traditions of Hagi ware without relinquishing their material or cultural foundations.
Kaneta’s work is represented in major public collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Asian Art Museum in California, the Japan Foundation, and the National Crafts Museum in Japan.