Journal

  • Suzuki Sansei meets Lucio Fontana

    Observing cross-cultural parallels
    Suzuki Sansei meets Lucio Fontana
  • このたびの地震により被災された皆様、特に珠洲市、輪島市、そして石川県能登地方にお住まいの皆様には、心よりお見舞い申し上げます。

     

    環太平洋火山帯に位置する日本の地震活動は、世界で発生する地震の大部分を占めています。自然は私たちに豊かな恵みと恩恵を与えてくれますが、今回の地震は、自然の力に直面したときの私たちの生活のはかなさを思い起こさせるものです。

     

    余震が続くなか、被災地の皆様の安全とご健康を深く願うと共に、地域社会の力と支援の結集が、新年の日本の一日も早い復興に寄与しますようお祈り申し上げます。

  • Excerpts: Miyanohara Ken (1898-1977)

    A master potter- Translated article from Monthly Magazine of Antique Art & Mingei, published November 1, 1978
    by Kristie Lui
    Excerpts: Miyanohara Ken (1898-1977)
    Read our translated excerpt from:  目の眼 ー古美術・民芸の月刊誌 11月号 昭和54年11月1日発行 (Eyes of the Eye ーMonthly Magazine of Antique art and Mingei, November issue Published on November 1, 1978) on the life and work of master potter Miyanohara Ken, who was a student of Meiji era master potter, Itaya Hazan.
  • Movement, color, and surface

    The Art of Matsutani Fumio
    Movement, color, and surface
  • Museum Acquisition: Yasuhara Kimei

    Announcement: Yasuhara Kimei's Vase acquired by the Princeton Museum of Art
    Museum Acquisition: Yasuhara Kimei
    Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to announce the acquisition of Yasuhara Kimei's "Sekki" flower vase by the permanent collections of the Princeton Museum of Art. Read more about this vase by Yasuhara Kimei (also known as Yasuhara Yoshiaki) here.
  • Museum Acquisition: Isezaki Jun

    Announcement of the acquisition of Isezaki Jun's Bizen jar by the permanent collections of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
    Museum Acquisition: Isezaki Jun

    We are thrilled to announce that a stunning Hidasuki Bizen jar crafted by the renowned artist Isezaki Jun has found its permanent place within the esteemed collections of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Read more about the piece here.

  • Yasuhara Kimei: New Pottery Discourse

    Translated from an excerpt written Showa 29/1954
    Yasuhara Kimei: New Pottery Discourse
  • Before the Curtain Draws

    Closing comments: Yasuhara Kimei Exhibition End
    Before the Curtain Draws
    Beatrice Chang offers reflections & thanks before the closing of our September exhibition "Object, Vessel: Yasuhara Kimei, Ikebana Sogetsu, and the Art of Japanese Ceramics"
  • Everything by Design

    Notes on Yasuhara Kimei's Preliminary Sketches & More
    Everything by Design
  • Excerpts: Yasuhara Kimei's kiln-side notes
    Read a translated transcription of Yasuhara's reflections by the kiln side at night.
  • A Modern Master Revealed

    Yasuhara Yoshiaki and the ceramics revolution of the twentieth century
    A Modern Master Revealed
    Read the full essay on the work of Yasuhara Yoshiaki (Yasuhara Kimei) in the context of the development of avant-garde ceramics in Japan, by curator Russell Kelty (Art Gallery of South Australia).
  • Yasuhara Kimei

    The Genesis of "Sekki"
    Yasuhara Kimei
  • The Vase as Art Object (Obuje-Kaki オブジェ花器)

    Ceramics of The Ikebana Sogetsu School
    by Kristie Lui
    The Vase as Art Object (Obuje-Kaki オブジェ花器)

    The art of floral arrangement in Japan has a modern and avant-garde history that is intertwined with development of modern ceramic visual arts. Both tea masters and flower arrangement (Ikebana) artists are the natural companions for ceramic artists in the course of their work. Click to read more about the noble and modern associations of ceramics and Ikebana.

  • Excerpts: Wada Morihiro

    Sen-Mon, Keisei-Mon Series 蟬文・千文 ・ 繋千文 (1992-1995)
    by Kristie Lui
    Excerpts: Wada Morihiro
  • by Kristie Lui
    Higashida Shigemasa on Honoo Geijutsu 炎芸術

    Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to announce that Gallery artist Higashida Shigemasa has been published in the autumn 2023 issue of Honoho Geijutsu (The Art of Fire), a quarterly journal on Japanese ceramics and Kogei. 

  • by Kristie Lui
    Setsurei: The Art of Miwa Kyusetsu XIII (Kazuhiko)
  • Watanabe Aiko

    Breathing with fire
    Watanabe Aiko
  • Excerpts: Wada Morihiro

    On his 彡文 San-Mon Series
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Excerpts: Wada Morihiro
    We've been translating Wada Morihiro's excerpts and writings about his artistic process and techniques. Today, we are delighted to share his notes on his beautiful San-Mon series. Read more. here.
  • Field notes from Kyoto

    Notes on Hayashi Yasuo's recent work
    Field notes from Kyoto
    Read more field notes from our director's travels through the ceramic capital of Japan: Kyoto.
  • by Kristie Lui
    Goto Hideki 後藤秀樹 (b. 1973)
    Goto Hideki is a ceramic artist based in Tajimi City. After graduating from Tajimi Technical High School, where he studied ceramics, he participated in public exhibitions, solo exhibitions, and group exhibitions. His works meditates upon the origin of pottery: the interplay between the nature and clay. Read more about his Sea God "Watatsumi" series.
  • In the Studio with Higashida Shigemasa

    A visit to see what's next: Field notes from Beatrice in Tokyo
    by Kristie Lui
    In the Studio with Higashida Shigemasa
  • Kakurezaki Ryuichi tea bowl with a tea caddy by Isezaki Mitsuru
    Kakurezaki Ryuichi tea bowl with a tea caddy by Isezaki Mitsuru

     

    “Modern visual taste, weaned on the sculptural Impressionism of Bourdelle and Rodin or on the painterly abstractions of Pollock and Dubuffet – that is, trained to accept the semiotic language of organic process – can more easily embrace the “accidental” attributes of Raku, Iga, Bizen, Shigaraki, Karatsu, and Tamba glazes.”

     

    Read more about aspects of contemporary taste for the ceramic tea bowl.

  • The Art of Kishi Eiko 岸映子

    Reflections on the occasion of the 36th Kyoto Art Culture Award
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    The Art of Kishi Eiko 岸映子
    It is with delight that we announce that Kishi Eiko (b. 1948) has been awarded the 36th Kyoto Art Culture Award. On this occasion, we reflect on the innovations of her ceramic art.
  • Murata Gen: The Heart's Eye

    As Featured in Ceramics Now Magazine
    Murata Gen: The Heart's Eye
    Read our Murata Gen and Mashiko exhibition article as featured in Ceramics Now Magazine.
  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Murata Gen 村田 元
    On the occasion of the opening of "Murata Gen: The Heart's Eye", read the Foreword to our online exhibition catalog for our Murata Gen debut solo exhibition in North America. Browse the artist's works on our website.
  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Matsui Kosei 松井康成 (1927-2003)
  • A Note on Artist Seal Connoisseurship

    Reading Murata Gen's seals
    by Kristie Lui

    Did you know? Murata Gen 村田 元(1904-1988) used three different seals during his lifetime. Read more to understand the three types of seals he used and why. 

  • Intangible Heritage: Asia Week

    A Recap of AWNY 2023 in pictures
    by Kristie Lui
    Intangible Heritage: Asia Week
  • Ishiyama Tetsuya

    The "Dimple Bowl" and contemporary ceramics
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Ishiyama Tetsuya
    Revisit a tea bowl by the contemporary ceramicist Ishiyama Tetsuya with us, with a platinum sheen and gold inside. "Dimple bowl" is a playful take on the often sombre and traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
  • Group of three vessels by Fujiwara Yu | Exhibited on the occasion of Asia Week New York 2023
    Group of three vessels by Fujiwara Yu | Exhibited on the occasion of Asia Week New York 2023
    Read more about the Living National Treasure of Bizen clay & the famous Fujiwara Bizen family.
  • Ikebana & Mihara Ken 三原研

    Flowers in the City
    by Kristie Lui
    Ikebana & Mihara Ken 三原研

    We're delighted to collaborate once again with Ikebana designer Eriko Nagata (EriN Design International), to present Mihara Ken's flower vessel. Read more about his work here. 

  • Group of works by ceramic Living National Treasures
    Group of works by ceramic Living National Treasures
    What is a Living National Treasure in Japan, and how did it come to be? Read the essay by Daniel McOwan, Japanese art specialist & curator. This essay is published on the occasion of our March exhibition "Intangible Heritage: The Art of Japan's Living National Treasures", coinciding with the annual celebration of asian art: Asia Week New York.
  • Notes on Suzuki Osamu

    Sodeisha, Space, and Suzuki's New Jar
    by Kristie Lui
    Notes on Suzuki Osamu
  • Sweeping winds

    Musings on the Shigaraki art of Koyama Yasuhisa
    by Kristie Lui
    Sweeping winds
  • Kitamura Junko

    Works in Vertigo
    by Kristie Lui
    Kitamura Junko
    Exploring the detailed work of Kitamura Junko.
  • Mirror, mirror, mochi

    New Years Kagamimochi
    by Kristie Lui
    Mirror, mirror, mochi

    “Kagami Mochi” is a traditional Japanese New Years decoration. It translates to "mirror mochi" or "mirror rice cake". Where does it come from? What does it mean? Let us explore its symbolism. 

  • Clay as Soft Power

    Shigaraki in Postwar America & Japan
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Clay as Soft Power

    The University of Michigan Museum of Art's exhibition, Clay As Soft Power examines how Shigaraki ware ceramics transformed the American public’s image of Japan, helping the country shift its identity from World War II enemy to Cold War ally to global cultural change maker. 

  • Tsubo

    The Art of Contemporary Craft
    Tsubo

    Preview art historian & curator Daniel McOwan's essay on our Fall 2022 exhibition catalog. "Tsubo: The Art of Contemporary Craft" gives an overview of the history of the jar category in Modern Japanese ceramics, while also exploring significant potters, artists, and figures who have propelled this formal category in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

     
  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Japanese Ceramics at the Art Gallery of South Australia
    Many pieces from our gallery were featured in this dynamic exhibition which spans Japanese modern & contemporary ceramics beginning in the post-war years to today. Click to read more!
  • The Art of Shigaraki

    A brief history of Shigaraki: One of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    The Art of Shigaraki
  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Artist Matsutani Fumio Recipient of 39th Tanabe Museum of Art Grand Art Prize
  • Osaka University of Arts: Panel Discussion on the Avant-Garde Ceramics

    A Panel Discussion on the Avant-Garde Ceramics of Hayashi Yasuo, Yagi Kazuo, and Suzuki Osamu
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Osaka University of Arts: Panel Discussion on the Avant-Garde Ceramics
  • Asia Week New York

    A recap of our opening reception & more!
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Asia Week New York
  • New publication: "The Age of Avant-garde Ceramics: The Life of Yasuo Hayashi"

    A retrospective of Hayashi Yasuo's 80 year Artistic Practice written by Sakagami Shinobu
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    New publication: "The Age of Avant-garde Ceramics: The Life of Yasuo Hayashi"

    We are celebrating Hayashi Yasuo's recent feature in an important book featuring an extensive retrospective of Hayashi's artistic practice.

  • Art Gallery of South Australia & Dai Ichi Arts

    AGSA will be featuring sculptural works acquired from Dai Ichi Arts in an upcoming Exhibition
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Art Gallery of South Australia & Dai Ichi Arts
  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Hayashi Yasuo awarded the 40th Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Prize
  • The Legacy of Mingei & Murata Gen

    The social art history of Murata Gen's pottery
    by Kristie Lui
    The Legacy of Mingei & Murata Gen

    While we are excited to see new artists emerging on the stage of Japanese ceramic scene, we pause, and examine those who pioneered in the field; who looked into their own humble roots to be inspired. This is the work of Murata Gen, of Mashiko & Mingei...

  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    The Montgomery Collection

    We’re delighted to announce that the important collector of Japanese ceramics, and our friend Mr. Jeffrey Montgomery will be exhibiting his collection of over 250 Japanese folk crafts in ceramic, wood, fabric, and lacquer mediums. Coming up this October, it will be the first major and extensive exhibitions of Japanese folk craft, including Mingei wares from Mashiko, outside of Japan in the last 50 years. It showcases the importance of the Montgomerey collection. The upcoming exhibition in the Museo Delle Culture in Lugano will showcase pieces that have passed through Dai Ichi Arts in recent years. 

  • Ayumi Shigematsu

    The Vanguard Generation
    Ayumi Shigematsu

    Ayumi Shigematsu (b. 1958) is part of a vanguard generation of highly influential post-war female artists in Japan whose practices are inspired by concepts of female sexuality and representations of nature. She studied with Suzuki Osamu 鈴木 治 (1926-2001) at the Kyoto University of Arts and as pioneer for women in a historically male-dominated pottery industry in Japan, she went on to work as one of few female professors teaching ceramic practice at her alma mater. Having studied with the pioneer of the Sodeisha ceramic movement, her propensity for sculptural rather than functional clay forms reflect key Sodeisha tenets. 

  • by Beatrice Lei Chang

    How can we tell the difference between Japanese and Korean ceramics? What is it in Korean ceramics that is absent from Japanese wares? Aloofness, sternness, a certain folk quality...it would take more space than we have there to get to the bottom of it, but pay close attention to the beautiful Korean Moon jars next time you visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, take a second look at the robust collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or browse contemporary pieces at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, and you might begin to get a feel for the distinctions between these two great ceramic cultures. 

  • by Beatrice Lei Chang

    Contemporary artist Kino Satoshi (b. 1987) is a young sculptor with a big vision who, like many Japanese ceramic artists, finds inspiration in nature and its powerful forces. His recent celadon series is titled Oroshi, which refers to a cold wind coming down from the mountains. This exemplary 2015 sculpture places the viewer in front of a perfectly balanced spiral form made by a cool mountain wind.

  • by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Good News from Hayashi!
  • Celadon

    The art of Yoshikawa Masamichi
    by Beatrice Lei Chang

    If the Song Dynasty's five kilns (Guan ware kiln 官窯, Ge ware kiln 哥窯, Ru ware kiln 汝窯, Ting ware kiln 定窯, and Jun ware kiln 鈞窯) represent the height of Chinese classic porcelain making, contemporary Japanese ceramics enjoy the same national status today within Japan and around the world. The work of Yoshikawa Masamichi (b. 1946) makes us ask whether contemporary Japanese ceramics might be more expressive and diverse than the Song Dynasty ceramics that inspire today’s artists. 

  • by Beatrice Lei Chang

    I think that among many professions and callings, the artist is a noble one. Throughout their live, these visionaries create arts to inspire, delight, and connect; when they are gone, their art and artistic legacy continue to teach, provoke and strengthen our bonds with each other. Wada Morihiro was a star that fell too soon. In 2009, a year after Wada left us, Dai Ichi Arts presented the exhibition Celebration of a Life, seen in the attached brochure with several of Wada's works that were exhibited for sale. Wada's ceramics still intrigue us over a decade after his passing, and we grow to understand him more.

  • Hayashi Yasuo

    Our 90 Years Young Hero
    by Beatrice Lei Chang
    Hayashi & his wife
    Hayashi & his wife

    Hayashi Yasuo 林康夫 (b. 1928) embodies the maxim "clay prolongs life," as he has been a practicing ceramic artist for over six decades. Today he even drives from Kyoto to Tokyo to attend his exhibitions! Age has never deterred this significant artist, who was one of founder of Shiko-kai 四耕会(1947), a precursor of the influential Japanese avant-garde ceramics group Sodei-sha 走泥社(1948), when he was only 19 years old. The art critic Kimura Shigenobu 木村重信(1925-2017) has identified Hayashi Yasuo's "Cloud" sculpture as the first totally non-functional ceramic work, which according to Kimura made Hayashi "the real forerunner in the field." This departure from traditional ceramic techniques freed future generations of Japanese ceramic artists.