H9.9 x Dia 33.5cm
Born in Osaka in 1929, Tsuboshima Dohei was a ceramic artist who followed the unconventional path of a potter. He found apprenticeship and study under the salaryman-turned master potter, Kawakita Handeishi from 1946. Kawakita’s unconventionality, as a poet, potter, painter, and calligrapher foregrounds Tsuboshima’s style, which speaks to the heart of Japanese pottery and craft. Tsuboshima himself developed a great sensitivity to image and composition on 3 dimensional surfaces, staying true to Kawakita’s legacy. He helmed the Hironaga Kiln in Mie prefecture and after Kawakita’s death, he succeeded to his workshop. Throughout his life, Tsuboshima was able to master a variety of clay styles and techniques. He is most celebrated for his overglaze red and green enamel decoration over porcelain, as well as his painterly-style Shino glazes. His functional Iga pieces are also highlights of his oeuvre. He passed away peacefully in 2013.