Exhibition

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  Murata Gen

  The Heart's Eye 24 Apr - 17 May 2023 Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present the first ever solo exhibition of the works of Mingei artist Murata Gen in North America. The show will explore the plethora of vessels & functional forms Murata created, with an emphasis on his sensitivity for painted clay surfaces. “The Heart’s Eye: In Search of Murata Gen” illustrates an affectual and emotional side of Mingei craft expression through the works of Murata Gen alongside the works of his contemporaries (Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Shoji Hamada, Kawai Kanjiro, and Matsuzaki Ken) in modern & contemporary Japan.
  
  Murata Gen has been a favorite of Mingei collectors for decades, but his works have never received the recognition they deserve. Considered as the underdog of the Mingei folk-craft canon in the world of Japanese ceramics, Murata Gen’s works are underestimated, influential, and remarkable, all foregrounded by his training in classical painting. This exhibition aims to celebrate and establish him as an important part of Mashiko, Mingei, and Japanese folk-craft modern history. Influenced by the likes of Yanagi Soetsu, Mingei craft, Mashiko, and the art of yakimono pottery, Murata Gen's humble beginnings and storied career is sure to delight collectors of modern & contemporary design. The show includes a full digital exhibition catalog as part of our digital library. Read more

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  Intangible Heritage

  Asia Week New York: The Art of Japan's Living National Treasures 1 - 24 Mar 2023 “Living National Treasure” is a popular term for the title, Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties (重要無形文化財保持者). The honors began in 1947, when Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs created the system in order to preserve cultural or artistic skill sets, a piece of heritage that is “intangible”. Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present a group exhibition of the exceptional works of Japan’s ceramic Living National Treasures, on the occasion of March Asia Week 2023. “Intangible Heritage: The Art of Japan’s Living National Treasures” shows the modern masters in a new light. From porcelain to stoneware; from celadon to iron glazes, expect a stunning range of ceramic techniques. The artists showcased are pioneers and leaders of their respective craft, whose legacies continue to inspire around the world.
  
  List of Artists featured: ● SHIMIZU Uichi 清水 卯一（b.1926-2004) Designated LNT in 1985 ● KONDO Yuzo 近藤悠三 (b.1902-1985) Designated LNT in 1977 ● TOKUDA Yasokichi Ⅲ 3代 徳田八十吉 (b.1933-2009) Designated LNT in 1997 ● HAMADA Shoji 濱田庄司 (b.1894 - 1978) Designated LNT in 1955 ● NAKAJIMA Hiroshi 中島宏 (b.1941-2018) Designated LNT in 2007 ● FUJIWARA Yu 藤原雄 (b.1932- 2001) Designated LNT in 1996 ● HARA Kiyoshi 原 清 (b.1936) Designated LNT in 2005 ● MATSUI Kosei 松井康成 (b.1927-2003) Designated LNT in 1993 ● TAMURA Koichi 田村耕一 (1918-1987) Designated LNT in 1986 ● SHIMAOKA Tatsuzo 島岡達三 (b.1919-2007) Designated LNT 1996 ● YOSHITA Minori 吉田美統 (b.1932) Designated LNT in 2001 ● INOUE Manji 井上萬二 (b. 1929) Designated LNT in 1995 ● ISEZAKI Jun 伊勢崎淳 (b.1936) Designated LNT in 2004 ● KATO Takuo 加藤卓夫 (1917-2005) Designated LNT in 1995 ● IMAIZUMI Imaemon XIII 十三代今泉今右衛門 (b.1926-2001) Designated LNT in 1989 ● MIWA Kyusetsu XI 十一代 三輪休雪(b.1910-2012) Designated LNT in 1983 ● TOMIMOTO Kenkichi富本憲吉 (b.1886-1963) Designated LNT in 1955 ● SUZUKI Osamu 鈴木蔵 (b. 1934) Designated LNT in 1994 Read more

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  Objects of Affection

  February Group Show 1 - 28 Feb 2023 Dai Ichi Arts is presenting a group exhibition of recent masterpieces, sake ware & more by emerging ceramic talents alongside established masters from Japan to accompany you this month. The show will feature the works of Hayashi Shotaro, Higashida Shigemasa, Kitamura Junko, Suzuki Osamu, Koyama Yasuhisa, Shingu Sayaka, Inayoshi Osamu, Takada Naoki, Oishi Sayaka and more. Read more

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  The Gift of Art

  Holiday Offerings 2022 1 Dec 2022 - 20 Jan 2023 In gratitude to the Year of the Tiger 2022, Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present our December group show 'The Gift of Art.' This year's holiday collection expresses our gratitude with a holiday sale for this exhibition of selected artworks for the festive season. From small works such as... Read more

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  Dreaming in Mino

  Oribe & Shino 1 Nov - 15 Dec 2022 Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present our Winter 2022 exhibition “Dreaming in Mino: Oribe & Shino”, exploring the work of modern and contemporary artists who practice in 2 much-loved styles of Japanese pottery: Oribe & Shino yaki.
  
  Famous for its patches of copper green, its variety of colorful gradations that the glaze type permits and playful decorations, Oribe ware is an indispensable part of any Japanese Modern art collection. In its inception, Oribe ware was known for its daring departure from monochrome conventions in pottery during the Keichō and Genna eras (1596–1624). This ahead-of-its-time experimental spirit lives on in modern ceramics in the work of our Autumn selection of artists and potters who are at the forefront of carrying the tradition and spirit of Oribe into the future (Suzuki Goro, Higashida Shigemasa, Kato Yasukage, and more).
  
  Often studied and collected alongside Oribe ware is the much loved Shino pottery type. Shino-yaki was first fired during the Momoyama era (1568-1603) at kilns in Mino (present-day Gifu). Usually fashioned on stoneware, it is characterized by a thick yet porous and viscous glaze. The areas where the glaze does not touch fire a bright vermillion or red where the kiln’s fire has licked the white Mino clay. Traditionally fired in Anagama kilns, Shino-yaki can take on a dramatic appearance with a stark contrast between colors, or subtle, muted tones of white gradation. Modern artists take on this traditional glaze and play with its opacity, for the silica in the glaze may oxidize differently and produce different capacities of translucency. The fine glassy effect can be seen in the examples of Nezumi-shino by Wakao Toshisada. Meanwhile, the work of Tamaoki Yasuo and Hayashi Shotaro showcase the ability of Shino glazes to take on a spectacular, iron-rich, red shade. This exhibition presents the various types of Shino-yaki, showing off various shades of blue-gray, a fiery rust-red, to a clear, pure white. Read more

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  Tsubo

  Asia Week New York: The Art of Vessels 1 Sep - 27 Oct 2022 Dai Ichi Arts is proud to present our exhibition "Tsubo: The Art of Vessels", on the occasion of the Fall 2022 iteration of Asia Week New York. The Jar or Tsubo (壺) is a conceptually, technically, and visually boundless category of Japanese ceramics. This exhibition explores sublime interpretations of the Tsubo form by Japan's modern & contemporary ceramic masters. Read more

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  Modern Splendor

  Exceptional Contemporary Japanese Ceramics 11 Jul - 31 Aug 2022 Join Dai Ichi Arts for our summer show, featuring splendid works by Modern Japanese ceramic artists who are masters of Contemporary Craft in both technique and aesthetic sensibility. This summer show will feature works of art in clay by Fukami Sueharu, Yoshikawa Masamichi, Kawase Shinobu, Imanishi Masaya, Shimizu Keiichi, Mihara... Read more

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  Rokkoyō

  The Six Ancient Kilns of Japan 2 - 30 Jun 2022 Dai Ichi Arts will present a summer exhibition showcasing Modern & Contemporary Japanese ceramics from the 'Nihon Rokkoyō' (Japan's Six Ancient Kilns). The Rokkoyō category describes six representative ceramic production sites that has continued from Medieval Japan to the contemporary day: Echizen, Seto, Tokoname, Shigaraki, Tanba and Bizen. Journey through... Read more

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  Chanoyu

  A Taste of Tea 18 Apr - 30 May 2022 We are delighted to present a group of teawares this Spring, functional wares representing the art of 'Chanoyu', the ritual Japanese tea ceremony that involves serving, taking, and drinking of tea. The modern history of Chanoyu carries through the style and grace of tea tradition. Vases, teabowls, water jars, and... Read more

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  Future Forms

  Asia Week New York: Avant-Garde Sculpture in Modern Japanese Ceramics 1 - 30 Mar 2022 On the occasion of the spring iteration of Asia Week New York 2022, Dai Ichi Arts is proud to present an exhibition, “Future Forms: Avant-Garde Sculpture in Japanese Ceramics”, showcasing a group of post-war, avant-garde sculptures that exemplify the idea of the "Kiln-Fired Object". Rather, this group of works epitomizes the ideologies of three central figures that pioneered the admission of the sculptural format into the world of Japanese ceramics. Yagi Kazuo 八木 一夫(1918-79), Yamada Hikaru 山田光 (1924-2001), and Suzuki Osamu 鈴木治 (1926-2001)’s philosophies sought to solidfy the role of the non-functional ceramic object in the world of Japanese pottery. As such, this exhibit will showcase the instrumental work of Yamada Hikaru, Suzuki Osamu, Hayashi Yasuo, Yanagihara Mutsuo, and the more contemporary sculptures of Miwa Ryosaku. This group of artworks will also spotlight the work of several distinguished contemporary women sculptors who are part of a vanguard generation of highly influential post-war artists in Japan. For example, the radical works of Tashima Etsuko 田嶋悦子 (b. 1959), Kishi Eiko 岸 映子 (b. 1948), and Sakurai Yasuko 櫻井靖子 (b. 1969), who investigate the use of light and color in their clay. On the other hand, the works of Ayumi Shigematsu 重松あゆみ (b. 1958) and Suhama Tomoko 須浜智子 (b. 1965) explore form and surface as influenced by Suzuki Osamu and West Coast Minimalism. Meanwhile, Matsuda Yuriko 松田百合子 (b. 1943) , Shingu Sayaka 新宮さやか (b. 1979), Kato Mami 加藤真美 (b. 1963) & more elaborate upon decorative motifs, creating surfacescapes on ceramic exteriors. The exhibition brings to light on how female voices have understood the sculptural visual vocabulary & modernisms of the radical Sodeisha Movement. Get in touch today for a copy of our catalogue (digital or in-print), or to arrange a viewing of the full exhibition in an online viewing room, or in-person! Read more

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  Modern Masters

  Objects of Affection 1 - 28 Feb 2022 This February, we are pleased to present a group of works by Modern Masters of Japanese ceramics, surrounding the theme “Objects of Affection.” From small sake cups, tea bowls that rest tenderly in one’s hands, to recent masterpieces by potters, we are glad to present a group of delightful objects to accompany you this February. The exhibition will feature a group of sake cups by Living National Treasures (SHIMAOKA Tatsuzo 島岡達三(1919-2007) LNT 人間国宝, ARAKAWA Toyozo 荒川豊蔵 (1894-1985), LNT 人間国宝, KAMODA Shoji 加守田章二 (1933-1983)　LNT 人間国宝, MIWA Kyusetsu 十一代 三輪休雪(1910-2012) LNT 人間国宝 and more), Tea bowls by potters who have artful and innovative interpretations of traditional glazes (ICHIKAWA Toru 市川 透 (b. 1973), ISEZAKI Koichiro 伊勢﨑晃一朗 (b. 1974). We will be updating this exhibition throughout the month of February with new pieces- stay tuned, or get in touch with us to preview the show today! Read more

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  Celebrations

  Brightness & Lustre in Contemporary Japanese Ceramics 6 Dec 2021 - 5 Jan 2022 Brightness and lustre are inherent components to the history of Japanese decorative arts. From textiles to ceramics, surface sheen and the ability for objects to iridesce has endured throughout the ages. In Modern & Contemporary Japanese ceramics, we see artists render beautifully elaborate innovations on the potential for ceramic surfaces to opalesce. We see this particularly in works by artists who take risks by either manipulating the clay surface (Oishi Sayaka 大石早矢香 b. 1980, Shingu Sayaka 新宮さやか b. 1979), or formulating unconventional glaze recipes that create nacreous surface texture (Miyamura Hideaki 宮村 秀明 b. 1955, Ichikawa Toru 市川 透 1973), or by adding unconventional contemporary materials to a porcelain surface (Suzuki Hideaki 鈴木 秀昭 b. 1959). These artists push the boundaries of how the ceramic medium and its surfaces may interact with light. We are pleased to exhibit a group of works this winter that ruminate upon the celebratory idea of lustre, presenting a kaleidoscope of iridescence and splendor. Read more

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  Surfacescapes

  Surface, Affect, Image in Japanese Ceramics 4 Nov - 1 Dec 2021 In our November show, we introduce a group of works that combine classical sensibilities with modern reinterpretations in traditional ceramic vessels. From decorative surfaces embellished with a gold lustre, to scrolling images across a guinomi surface, to textural surfaces on high-fired stoneware whose craqueleur gives the surface a sense of... Read more

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  Terraform

  Asia Week New York: Depictions of Earth in Japanese Ceramics from 1970 2 - 30 Sep 2021 Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. is delighted present our fall exhibition “Terraform: Depictions of Earth in Japanese Ceramics from 1970” on the occasion of the fall 2021 iteration of Asia Week New York.
  
  The exhibition brings focus to Japanese ceramics that play upon the theme “Terraform.” Curated into two parts, the first group of works is bound by the theme “Memories of the Earth”, articulating the relationship between time, memory, earth, and clay. The sculptural forms from the ceramicists Suzuki Osamu 鈴木 藏 (b. 1934, LNT), Hiruma Kazuyo 昼馬 和代 (b. 1947), and Hayashi Shotaro 林 正太郎 (b. 1947) in this group respond to the wonders of the natural landscape in their work. The second group of works surrounds “Earthen Images”, tying together representations of the earth via image, pictorial forms, and surfacescape from the ceramic works of Murata Gen 村田 元 (1904-1988) and Wakao Toshisada 若尾 利貞 (b. 1933).
  
  From form to image, this exhibition enquires into the literal, affectual, sculptural and representational ways that clay may be used to envision the earth. We warmly invite you to get in touch to view selected works, or to receive a copy of our catalogue. Read more

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  Returning to the Earth

  Ion Fukazawa 13 May - 3 Jun 2021 Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present our May exhibition, highlighting Ion Fukazawa's recent series "Returning to the Earth", while highlighting works of art by ceramicists whose techniques and styles he has inherited, all of which highlight the Earthbound materiality of clay. Read more

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  Passages Through Time

  New York Asia Week Spring 2021 11 - 31 Mar 2021 Dai Ichi Arts Ltd. is delighted to present to you this special exhibition, "Passages Through Time", which examines a brief history of Japanese ceramics from Post-War and Avant-Garde, to Contemporary Masters. We sincerely hope this brings beauty, introspection, and curiosity to your experience of time. Read more

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  Moments

  Finding Moments of Tranquility 24 Nov - 22 Dec 2020 It is a pleasure to present this exhibition, which we have put together with a special purpose: to bring beauty and tranquility and the excitement of artful expression to you during these trying times. Highlighting our guinomi collection, this exhibition aims to showcase how the functional ceramic object has been... Read more

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  Nature Born

  The Works of Shigaraki Master: Kohara Yasuhiro 15 Oct - 13 Nov 2020 "Nature Born" is an exhibition highlighting the works of the modern works of Shigaraki Kohara Yasuhiro. Read more

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  Higashida Shigemasa

  Higashida Shigemasa and the Oribe Tradition 10 - 26 Sep 2020 Read more

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  New Artists: Wonders of Life

  Oishi Sayaka and Suzuki Hideaki 1 - 31 Aug 2020 Capturing celestial and earthbound microecosystems in their works, Oishi Sayaka and Suzuki Hideaki use innovative ceramic processes to portray fantastical environments informed by Surrealist forms and Art-Nouveau respectively. Their works feature elaborate sculptural and functional ceramics and porcelain that showcase intricate ornamentation. Read more

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  In the Footsteps of Masters

  New York Asia Week 2020: Avant-Garde Ceramic Masters 15 Mar - 1 Apr 2020 In the light of virus anxiety & prevention, our gallery will be closed effective Tuesday March 17th. Closing the in-person space was extremely difficult for us as we have prepared this asia week exhibition for years. Do communicate with us on line, let’s stay connected as we continue to seek... Read more

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  Hayashi Yasuo

  In celebration of abstraction 10 - 30 Sep 2019 Hayashi Yasuo (1928-) began his artistic career in the 1950s, and is now considered one of the most important forerunners of abstraction in contemporary Japanese ceramics. As a founding member of the Shikokai association of potters, he played a role in the modernization of the medium from the very beginning.... Read more

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  Whispering Ash

  New York Asia Week Fall 2019: Yakishime 焼締 5 - 20 Sep 2019 Yakishime represents a unique chapter in modern art’s engagement with indigenous and ancient artistic traditions. After World War II, Japanese artists experimented with Western styles of modern art while reconsidering their own national identity. Ceramicists explored the legacies of artists like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, who looked to non-Western and ancient influences for inspiration and self-reflection, contributing to a movement that has been called primitivism. Such outlooks have since been criticized by historians for reinforcing imperialist hierarchies and notions of otherness. Operating decades later and in a starkly different political reality, Japanese artists looked inward to find their distinct voice in global conversations on modernity. Yakishime moved Japanese traditions away from its recent imperialist legacy and toward a new modern outlook.
  
  The perfect texture must start with the perfect clay. Whispering Ash presents works created from Iga clay, the iconic kilns of Bizen, and much more. Japanese ceramic artists have been known to go to extremes to find the perfect clay texture and ash deposits, a tendency only encouraged by Yakishime. A specific clay deposit can pass from one generation to the next, a carefully guarded resource. While some potters chew a piece of clay to determine its quality, others smell and feel it, highlighting the sensory knowledge required. Certain clays and textures produce different ash colors depending on the kind of wood, and each potter must calibrate his materials and his kiln carefully to achieve the desired result, a perfect wabi-sabi balance. The Yakishime work passes on the sensory knowledge of the artist with its composition of clay and ash. 土の味 refers to “the flavor of clay” while 景色 is another key term that means “the marks from wood fire,” the two protagonists of wabi-sabi excellence in yakishime pottery.
  
  For our Whispering Ash exhibition, we have carefully selected several distinctive clay surfaces and have studied the historical progress of the Yakishime style in order to examine just how artists have orchestrated the great symphony of clay and ash. Read more

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  Oribe & Shino

  Contemporary reimagining of Oribe & Shino 9 - 23 May 2019 Shino, Oribe, Kiseto, and Setoguro are distinctly Japanese ceramic traditions that peaked in the centrally-located Mino province during the Momoyama 桃山 Era (1573-1615). A significant moment in the history of Japanese ceramics, local potters departed from Korean and Chinese traditions to express what was unique to their land through Mino... Read more

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  Kind of Blue

  New York Asia Week Spring 2019: The Art of Blue in Japanese Ceramics 13 - 23 Mar 2019 Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. presents Kind of Blue: Artists Working with Celadon and Beyond, a spring exhibition exploring contemporary iterations of celadon practices. This traditional method, invented in China 3,500 years ago to imitate the color of jade, is omnipresent among ceramic sculptures shown in contemporary museums and galleries. Celadon... Read more

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  Sato Masayuki

  End of the Water: Solo exhibition 8 - 25 Oct 2018 Read more

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  Hiruma Kazuyo

  Memories of Water and Earth 7 - 21 Sep 2018 Dai Ichi Arts Ltd. is pleased to announce its inagural exhibition with the contemporary Japanese ceramic artist Hiruma Kazuyo 昼 馬 和 代. The exhibition will be her first solo New York show. Memories of Water and Earth will feature a series of works that highlight Hiruma's investigation of how... Read more

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  Jars & Jars

  Asia Week New York 16 - 30 Mar 2018 Read more

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  Many Shades of Celadon

  Asia Week New York 2017 1 - 30 Sep 2017 Read more

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  Scented Splendors

  The Art of Smell: Ceramic Incense Burners 16 - 30 Sep 2016 Read more

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  Oribe

  24 May - 16 Jun 2016 Read more