Bizen ware square plate with a stamped pattern

This Bizen-ware square plate is the work of Koichiro Isezaki, who was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and has brought a breath of fresh air to the world of Bizen ware with his extraordinary sense and skillful sculpting ability. It is a rare, quite thick, tile-like square plate, and its profound volume, unexpected for its size, gives it a unique presence. It was formed using Koichiro’s original "dabun" (beating) technique, and the pattern created when the clay slab was struck adds an irresistible modernity to the simple square plate. By skillfully utilizing the gust-like flames inside the anagama kiln, the "goma" (ash glaze) is expressed diagonally, making the exposed white clay appear as if light is shining upon it, creating a fantastic effect. Signed wooden box (shihozan)
Diameter 15.1cm x 14.8cm x Height 2.7cm Koichiro Isezaki was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family is a prestigious name in Bizen ware; his grandfather was Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki, and his uncle was Intangible Cultural Property holder Mitsuru Isezaki, and he himself aspired to pottery from an early age. After graduating from the sculpture department of Tokyo Zokei University in 1994, he studied abroad in the United States. He studied pottery for about two years under Jeff Shapiro, a potter based in New York City, which greatly broadened his perspective on art and pottery. After returning to Japan in 2000, he trained under the guidance of his father alongside his father's apprentices. He first exhibited and was selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art Tea Ceremony Exhibition in 2002.