The weather in Bizen has suddenly turned spring-like recently, and we have been able to lighten our jackets.
The swallows are building their nests again this year, and the parent birds are flying around the garden in such a flurry.
The cherry blossoms in the backyard were a bit late this year, but they managed to bloom safely.
Now then, at the end of March, I went to visit the new kiln that Mr. Morimoto is currently designing.
The foundation is barely finished and the base has only just been completed, so it looks like it will be a while before it is finished and unveiled, but I was able to take some photos.
He says it is the most compact form derived from the data of the 15 kilns he has designed so far, capable of being maneuverable and responding to his whims.
The design is typical of Mr. Morimoto, for whom "ceramics"—including kiln design—is a part of life and a life's work, and it is designed with "long-term, diverse research and presentations" in mind.
He told me that he had been thinking about how he should act as a modern person and as a ceramic artist, and that he wanted to move away from the current big trend of pursuing individuality and modernity, and try an approach of impersonality as an antithesis.
In a sense, he described himself as a device, operating as one internal combustion engine within the vast timeline of "ceramics" and its various assemblages. He said he would like to shift toward production as a reflection of and reaction to the study of ancient ceramics, while following the process of regressing from contemporary production, which prioritizes the expression of inner self and originality.
I truly hope he will be active as a bridge that awakens the various factors dormant in ancient ceramics and connects them to the next generation.
I will continue to keep a close eye on Mr. Morimoto's activities.
Postscript
I am posting some pictures of Bizen's spring scenery that I took on the way home.
I took pictures of the oyster rafts in Katakami Bay and the flowers blooming quietly by the roadside.
Also, we have received some excellent new pieces, including Hidasuki sake bottles, Hai-kaburi (ash-covered) sake bottles, Hai-kaburi sake cups, Hidasuki sake cups, tea cups, and plates.
We will be uploading them to the website as they become available.
If there are any pieces you are interested in, please feel free to contact our shop.
Tel 0869-67-2210 Fax 0869-67-2220
Email to Kawaguchi Tourakuen
He told me that he had been thinking about how he should act as a modern person and as a ceramic artist, and that he wanted to move away from the current big trend of pursuing individuality and modernity, and try an approach of impersonality as an antithesis.
In a sense, he described himself as a device, operating as one internal combustion engine within the vast timeline of "ceramics" and its various assemblages. He said he would like to shift toward production as a reflection of and reaction to the study of ancient ceramics, while following the process of regressing from contemporary production, which prioritizes the expression of inner self and originality.
I truly hope he will be active as a bridge that awakens the various factors dormant in ancient ceramics and connects them to the next generation.
I will continue to keep a close eye on Mr. Morimoto's activities.
Postscript
I am posting some pictures of Bizen's spring scenery that I took on the way home.
I took pictures of the oyster rafts in Katakami Bay and the flowers blooming quietly by the roadside.
Also, we have received some excellent new pieces, including Hidasuki sake bottles, Hai-kaburi (ash-covered) sake bottles, Hai-kaburi sake cups, Hidasuki sake cups, tea cups, and plates.
We will be uploading them to the website as they become available.
If there are any pieces you are interested in, please feel free to contact our shop.
Tel 0869-67-2210 Fax 0869-67-2220
Email to Kawaguchi Tourakuen
