Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by Akira Okada, a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association who creates a variety of masterpieces with unique, rich creativity, having studied under Living National Treasure Yu Fujiwara. The entire surface of the clay glows as if it were platinum, truly living up to the artist's name, "Akira" (which means brilliance). Even the triangular "nuke" (fire-scarred area) inside the cup and the "bota" (ash deposit) on the rim exhibit a golden sheen, making this a piece fully draped in metallic colors. Intense "kase-goma" (dry, moss-like ash glaze) joins this display, resulting in a miraculous encounter between the metallic texture and the organic, moss-like appearance of the ash. The unpretentious craftsmanship, characteristic of Okada, that successfully brings these two contrasting elements together is truly magnificent.

With signed wooden box (two-way batten)
Diameter 7.0 cm x Diameter 6.7 cm x Height 5.1 cm

While studying oil painting at Musashino Art University, Akira Okada met Kei Fujiwara and Yu Fujiwara and was moved by their simple yet rich forms and firing techniques, becoming a live-in apprentice to Yu Fujiwara in 1968. He began winning awards and being selected for open exhibitions in 1975, and held his debut exhibition in Okayama in 1978. He built his own kiln in 1981 and held his first firing. He creates a wide range of works, from large jars, flower vases, and tableware to tea ceramics and ceramic wall art. In addition to hand-beaten slab construction, for large jars and vases, he uses a potter's wheel and then shaves the surface with a plane to create curved patterns, adding his own unique expression. He became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1986. In 1997, he exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition. In 1999, he created the ceramic mural "Mai, San, San" for JR Nishi-Maizuru Station. He is also a professor at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. This is a Bizen sake cup by Akira Okada, a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association who creates a variety of masterpieces with unique, rich creativity, having studied under Living National Treasure Yu Fujiwara. The entire surface of the clay glows as if it were platinum, truly living up to the artist's name, "Akira." Even the triangular "nuke" inside the cup and the "bota" on the rim exhibit a golden sheen, making this a piece fully draped in metallic colors. Intense "kase-goma" joins this display, resulting in a miraculous encounter between the metallic texture and the organic, moss-like appearance of the ash. The unpretentious craftsmanship, characteristic of Okada, that successfully brings these two contrasting elements together is truly magnificent.
*There is a very small chip on the rim.
With signed wooden box (two-way batten)
Diameter 7.0 cm x Diameter 6.7 cm x Height 5.1 cm Akira Okada met Kei Fujiwara and Yu Fujiwara while at Musashino Art University and was moved by their work, becoming Yu Fujiwara's apprentice in 1968. He began receiving recognition in exhibitions in 1975 and held his debut in 1978. He built his kiln in 1981. He produces a wide variety of works, including large jars, vases, tableware, tea ceremony wares, and ceramic wall installations. Beyond slab construction, he employs wheel-throwing techniques followed by planing to create curved patterns for a distinctive personal style. He became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1986, participated in the Bizen exhibition in Paris in 1997, and created the mural "Mai, San, San" for JR Nishi-Maizuru Station in 1999. He also serves as a professor at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts.