Hello everyone, how are you all doing?
With the heavy rains in mid-April and the first winds of spring, the cherry blossoms in the garden have turned completely into fresh green leaves.
Along with the balmy, sweat-inducing weather, I cannot help but feel the arrival of summer.
Now, back in early April, just before the air started to carry the scent of summer,
Kenji Takanaka-sensei held a kiln opening, and some wonderful pieces were fired.
I have visited his studio several times in the past, but this time he was kind enough to come all the way to our shop.
He showed us pieces made with mountain clay from the Kumayama area, which he has been working with since his training days at Jun-sensei's studio.
It was impressive to see how much Takanaka-sensei enjoyed the unprecedented, rugged texture and the dark color variations of the "goma" (ash glaze) and "Ibe-te" (a traditional Bizen style).
I heard many stories, and I hope to share as much as I can when I list the products.
I would like to share one story in particular that left a deep impression on me.
Generally, for veteran artists like Takanaka-sensei, it is common to have staff or apprentices in the studio.
It is often the case that you see them working with multiple apprentices.
However, Takanaka-sensei has been working entirely alone for a long time.
For the most delicate and strenuous task, the kiln firing, his family members take shifts helping him.
It seems they approach the firing by removing the thermometers and following instructions based only on the phenomena they observe.
He told me that whether it is his general work or the kiln firing, he dislikes having others intervene and losing his own control.
That is why he intentionally removes the thermometers, creating an environment cut off from data and speculation.
Hearing this story, the link between Takanaka-sensei's work and his personality became very clear to me.
The stickiness of the clay, the coarseness of the particles, the pebble content, and the coloring of the Ibe-te style.
I realized that the artist's strict management reaches every single stage of these flawless pieces.
I am convinced that the high level of trust he places in that management is what leads to the stability of Takanaka's work.
We will be uploading Takanaka-sensei's new works to our website as they become available, so please look forward to them.
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
With the heavy rains in mid-April and the first winds of spring, the cherry blossoms in the garden have turned completely into fresh green leaves.
Along with the balmy, sweat-inducing weather, I cannot help but feel the arrival of summer.
Now, back in early April, just before the air started to carry the scent of summer,
Kenji Takanaka-sensei held a kiln opening, and some wonderful pieces were fired.
I have visited his studio several times in the past, but this time he was kind enough to come all the way to our shop.
He showed us pieces made with mountain clay from the Kumayama area, which he has been working with since his training days at Jun-sensei's studio.
It was impressive to see how much Takanaka-sensei enjoyed the unprecedented, rugged texture and the dark color variations of the "goma" (ash glaze) and "Ibe-te" (a traditional Bizen style).
I heard many stories, and I hope to share as much as I can when I list the products.
I would like to share one story in particular that left a deep impression on me.
Generally, for veteran artists like Takanaka-sensei, it is common to have staff or apprentices in the studio.
It is often the case that you see them working with multiple apprentices.
However, Takanaka-sensei has been working entirely alone for a long time.
For the most delicate and strenuous task, the kiln firing, his family members take shifts helping him.
It seems they approach the firing by removing the thermometers and following instructions based only on the phenomena they observe.
He told me that whether it is his general work or the kiln firing, he dislikes having others intervene and losing his own control.
That is why he intentionally removes the thermometers, creating an environment cut off from data and speculation.
Hearing this story, the link between Takanaka-sensei's work and his personality became very clear to me.
The stickiness of the clay, the coarseness of the particles, the pebble content, and the coloring of the Ibe-te style.
I realized that the artist's strict management reaches every single stage of these flawless pieces.
I am convinced that the high level of trust he places in that management is what leads to the stability of Takanaka's work.
We will be uploading Takanaka-sensei's new works to our website as they become available, so please look forward to them.
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