Ao-Oribe Yunomi

After completing his apprenticeship under Jun Isezaki, Sohei Takashima received the Contemporary Ceramic Art Encouragement Award from the Japan Ceramic Society, marking an impressive debut as an independent artist. This is a newly released Ao-Oribe Yunomi by the artist.

Having studied under Jun Isezaki, the fifth Living National Treasure of Bizen ware, Takashima established his own studio in Ushimado, Setouchi City. This Yunomi is one of his works inspired by the Oribe ceramic tradition.

For the clay body, Takashima selected a special blend of white clay, which is rarely used in traditional Bizen ware, and Mitsuishi pyrophyllite. Among the many varieties of Bizen clay, this combination was carefully chosen to emphasize the distinctive qualities of white clay.

Takashima applied an Oribe glaze that he developed through extensive research and experimentation to complement the white clay. The resulting glaze displays remarkable depth and beauty, demonstrating the artist’s exceptional technical skill and dedication to exploring new ceramic expressions.

The white clay itself has a particularly coarse and rustic texture, which adds remarkable depth and delicate variations in color to the Oribe glaze. The interplay between the textured clay and the glaze creates a beautifully nuanced surface that is one of the most captivating features of this work.