Murata Gen 村田 元 Japanese, 1904-1988

Today, as we celebrate emerging artists in the Japanese ceramic scene, it’s essential to recognize the pioneers who came before them— hidden craftspeople whose stories deserve to be told and heard. Murata Gen, a master of his art, is one such artist whose remarkable pieces make a valuable addition to any ceramic collection. Murata Gen has been a favorite of Mingei collectors for decades, but his works have never received the recognition they deserve. Considered as the underdog of the Mingei folk-craft canon in the world of Japanese ceramics, Murata Gen’s works are underestimated, influential, and remarkable, all foregrounded by his training in classical painting. This exhibition aims to canonize him as an important part of Mashiko, Mingei, and Japanese folk-craft modern history. Murata Gen mostly worked by himself and he always signed his work with a ‘む mu’ all his life. He sought to establish himself as an artist, blurring the lines between craftsmanship and high art. In doing so, he desired to elevate collective traditions of craft to the status of high art, which Yanagi saw as a misreading of Mingei. Essentially, he claimed that if an artist signed their work, then it didn’t qualify as Mingei. Murata was rejected largely from the group: Murata’s desire to incorporate authorship into the Mingei tradition, and desire to expand the definition of craft philosophy, led to his work being blacklisted from the Mingei collective by Yanagi himself. As a result, the sensitive, masterful works by this great artist and craftsman have been severely undervalued in the past. Murata Gen passed away in 1988, and is survived by his three children. His third son, Murata Hiroshi (b. 1941), is a potter and continues Gen’s legacy through his work in ceramic bran glazes, iron and sand glazes, and iron-glazed paintings. Murata Gen’s work stands at the boundaries of Mingei. His work questions the definitions of the folk-craft category in Japan. This constant push and pull is at the forefront of contemporary discussions about the often fluid categorical lines between design, art, and craft. Read our featured article on Ceramics Now Magazine.

In the 1990s, I had the privilege of hunting Mingei pottery for the late Dr. John Driscoll. It was during this time that I encountered a large painted jar by Murata Gen. Driscoll encouraged and supported my interest in Murata, which fueled my ongoing search for the artist's work. Today, as we celebrate emerging artists in the Japanese ceramic scene, it's essential to recognize the pioneers who came before them—those hidden giants whose stories deserve to be told and heard. Murata Gen, a master of his art, is one such artist whose remarkable pieces make a valuable addition to any collection. Originally trained as a painter, Murata relocated from Tokyo to Mashiko, following in Hamada's footsteps. Notable artists such as Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Matsuzaki Ken, Hamada Shoji, Kimura Kitamura Koji, and others joined him. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Murata worked independently and signed his creations, believing himself to be an artist.

Collectors and cermaic connoisseurs often have a good eye for spotting artists seals. Not only is it important to recognize an artist's signature and hand to understand an artwork's authenticity (particularly when the piece is an older work), it is also important to dissect what goes into a seal. The Mashiko and Mingei artist Murata Gen 村田 元 (1904-1988) used three different seals during his lifetime. His works are rare and speak to his sensitivity for surfaces, through his training as a classical calligrapher and painter. To understand his seals, we may categorize them into the following three seal types stamped in red.

The Art Gallery of South Australia is currently hosting the exhibition Pure form: Japanese sculptural ceramics. This exhibition presents the rich diversity of sculptural ceramics created in Japan from the late 1940s to the present on loan from public and private collections across Australia. The first exhibition of its kind in Australia to present the compelling story of daring innovation through a kaleidoscopic array of stoneware and porcelain created from the post-war years, Pure form includes over 100 works of art by sixty-five Japanese ceramicists all of which are illustrated in the catalogue.

How does the Japanese craftsman and artist Murata Gen fit into the Mingei movement, philosophy, and aesthetic? In the 1950's Yanagi, Hamada and Kawai Kanjiro launched the Mingei movement where they were inspired by anonymous craftsmen. Yanagi validated Mashiko as a typical example of folk craft that embodies ‘innate Japaneseness’. From his experiences researching Western philosophical tenets and blending it with Japanese aesthetic philosophies, Yanagi constructed a “criterion of beauty” in Mingei, which included “the beauty of selflessness and anonymity.”

We are delighted to announce that the important collector of Japanese ceramics, and our friend Mr. Jeffrey Montgomery will be exhibiting his collection of over 250 Japanese folk crafts in ceramic, wood, fabric, and lacquer mediums. The upcoming exhibition in the Museo Delle Culture in Lugano will showcase pieces that have passed through Dai Ichi Arts in recent years.