Bizen Onioke Guinomi

Shinshiro Aika creates works of unwavering honesty and strength. This is a newly released Bizen Onioke Guinomi by the artist.

Even among the many artists working in Bizen ware, Aika is distinguished by his particular devotion to firing. This work allows one to appreciate the rich colors of the clay and the expressive kiln effects that emerge only through exceptionally thorough firing.

The Guinomi features a unique design inspired by the celebrated Shigaraki *Onioke Mizusashi*. Its boldly formed rim, characteristic of the Onioke style, merges with natural ash glaze that resembles thickly applied oil paint.

Few works seem to embody the phrase “created without regard for profitability” as perfectly as this one. Aika fired it relentlessly until it achieved the appearance he sought, then subjected it to an uncompromising process of selection. Even from a distance, it is immediately apparent that the vessel bears extraordinary kiln transformations.

Clay slips and repeated firings were used extensively, creating a complex interplay of clay surfaces and kiln effects, each with its own distinctive coloring. Together they form an astonishing texture reminiscent of Ko-Bizen ware—at once moist in appearance and yet distinctly dry.

As Bizen ware is fired more intensely, its surface generally becomes harder and increasingly loses its color. This work, however, retains a subtle, almost wet-looking sheen, together with a profound palette in which reddish purple, dark brown, and other tones blend intricately into one another.

He was born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1972.
He graduated from the Bizen Pottery Center in 1997.
He built an Anagama kiln in Ushimado, Setouchi City in 2003 and 2004.