Bizen Chawan

This Bizen tea bowl was created by Tomoyuki Oiwa, who has made his highly anticipated debut after honing his pottery skills under the guidance of Ryuichi Kakurezaki. It is a new work fired in the third firing of the anagama kiln he designed and built himself in Kamigori, Hyogo Prefecture. Mr. Oiwa aims for an intense firing process, creating a dramatic landscape where layers of "goma" (ash glaze) flow and overlap. True to Mr. Oiwa's style—which finds charm in the intense kiln alterations produced by maintaining high temperatures for extended periods—this piece features a white kiln transformation fired to the limit, blending with the yellow goma like snow drifting into a desert. Inside the bowl, the roles are reversed; the yellow goma takes center stage, and by placing a crystallized amber kiln-altered natural glaze at the bottom, he has completed a fantastical landscape that appears as if it is being swallowed by quicksand. The bold form, reminiscent of his mentor Ryuichi Kakurezaki, is also compelling, resulting in a tea bowl that is truly magnificent to behold. Signed wooden box to follow later
Diameter 15.6cm × 10.5cm × Height 10.5cm Tomoyuki Oiwa was born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in 1977. He completed his studies at the Bizen Pottery Center in 2004, began his apprenticeship under Ryuichi Kakurezaki in 2005, and became independent in 2014.