Hello everyone. As this special exhibition reaches its seventh installment, this will be our final pair.
Concluding this exhibition, which has featured a wide variety of works, is the pairing of Anjin Abe and Megumi Sueda.
The Abe school is known for its distinctive "goma" (sesame seed ash glaze), so this time, I would like to focus on that.
Anjin Abe’s sake bottle is "saishiki-bizen" (painted Bizen ware), and Megumi Sueda’s sake cup is "Ibe-de" (a refined Bizen style).
Sueda’s work is incredibly delicate and meticulous.
In fact, it has a cleanliness and smoothness that is somewhat closer to porcelain.
Anjin Abe’s sake bottle is as magnificent as it appears, yet in person, it is surprisingly understated and elegant rather than overly flashy.
I am always struck by how, much like the gold used in Japanese paintings, it shines but remains "shibui" (refined and subdued).
While the reds and blues certainly catch the eye, the goma remains the protagonist, with the gold acting as a perfect supporting player.
Looking back at Sueda’s work, the goma is again the centerpiece, with the black Ibe-de body serving as the supporting cast.
However, while the goma is the common protagonist, the goma of these two artists is quite different.
Anjin Abe’s goma is intensely rich, with varying densities and hues from section to section, and it is slightly raised, much like an oil painting.
Sueda’s goma, by contrast, has no height difference from the surface of the vessel; the goma itself has the image of a fluid, translucent wash.
If Anjin Abe’s goma is an oil painting, I imagine Sueda’s as a watercolor, harmonizing with the finely grained Ibe texture.
I am surprised by how much difference there is when comparing just the goma alone.
Though their impressions differ, both artists place the goma at the center, meticulously composed like a painting.
It is as if they are painting on a canvas of clay using fire.
Perhaps that is where the intrigue of the three-dimensional form comes in.
As I finish writing this, Anjin Abe’s words come to mind: "It’s pottery, so you have to fire it."
Now, with this being the final entry for the "En" (Connection) exhibition, how did you find it?
The concept was to "discover something new by comparing," and I hope we were able to deliver a fresh sense of surprise to everyone.
It seems that when artists build a kiln and pack their work, they make subtle adjustments to the placement and the types of clay for each firing.
By making these subtle changes, they bring to light the nature of the kiln and the potential of the clay being used.
As fans, it might also be interesting to compare works across different time periods or relationships to trace the artist's shifting mindset over time.
Thank you very much for joining us for our New Year’s special exhibition!
Work Information: Anjin Abe, Saishiki-Bizen Gourd Sake Bottle (with signed box), Size: Rim 2.9cm x Body diameter 9.8cm x 8.8cm x Height 15.0cm SOLD OUT
: Megumi Sueda, Ibe Sake Cup (with signed box), Size: Diameter 6.8cm x 6.6cm x Height 5.8cm
Price 18,900 yen SOLD OUT
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