Hello everyone.
It has become quite cold lately, and even here in Okayama Prefecture, where we don't often see much snow, it is accumulating frequently.
When I take the pieces out of their boxes, they feel chilly to the touch, making me truly realize that the harsh winter is here.
Now, today I would like to introduce a passionate piece that will blow away such a cold winter.
It is a highly original painted Bizen mizusashi (water jar) by Anjin Abe.
I tried photographing it today using an international style of display.
According to Abe-sensei's explanation, it is only in this form that it becomes complete "art."
Japanese pottery always carries the unique value of "the beauty of utility" (yo no bi), which is subtly different from international art.
By turning it upside down so that it cannot hold water, perhaps the "beauty of utility" is extracted from the piece, allowing it to reach the standards of art that are accepted internationally.
However, there must be even more profound insights behind this piece that someone like me—an ordinary person—couldn't possibly conceive.
An international newspaper even featured a photograph of Anjin Abe along with this painted water jar displayed in this manner.
Seeing that photo, I felt that the international community—with its completely different ways of thinking, lifestyles, languages, and cultures—had become connected with Japan, the world of pottery, the world of painting, and various other fields of art.
I hope that through this blog, I, too, can help connect the internet with the world of Anjin Abe.