Kaneta Masanao is a ceramic artist, the eighth generation in a lineage of potters spanning several centuries. Although initially hesitant to embrace the family craft, he found himself drawn to...
Kaneta Masanao is a ceramic artist, the eighth generation in a lineage of potters spanning several centuries. Although initially hesitant to embrace the family craft, he found himself drawn to the potter’s wheel and kilns from a tender age. Following his postgraduate studies in sculpture at Tsukuba University in 1979, he apprenticed under his father, Kaneta Mizaemon.
His artistic exploration delves into the structural intricacies of space, movement, and surface, redefining traditional tea utensils like tea bowls, water jars, and flower vases. Take, for instance, this glazed water jar adorned with straw ash Hagi glaze, which carries a captivating cream-white hue subtly tinged with hues of light pink, a result of the firing process. While a white straw glaze envelops the entirety of the piece, the bottom remains exposed clay, inviting a sense of openness.
As the late 1980s approached, Kaneta veered away from the confines of the potter’s wheel, opting for a more liberated approach to form and structure. This particular piece is meticulously carved from a single clay mass, bearing witness to its organically rough-hewn, natural essence.
In 1989, Kaneta proudly unveiled his inaugural solo exhibition, "Masanao Kaneta―A Ten-Year Retrospective," marking a significant milestone in his artistic journey. His oeuvre has garnered acclaim, earning placement in esteemed public collections such as the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, The Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Japan Foundation in Tokyo, The Museum of Ceramic Art in Gifu, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, among numerous others.