Murata Gen 村田 元 Japanese, 1904-1988

Tea drinking and its cultural practices have long been a universal expression of art and community. In the tea-drinking space, everything is connected: the tea drinker with their artfully crafted tea bowl, the ink painting adorning the wall, the host, and more. Tea offers a profound sense of gathering and shared experience through art.

This exhibition spotlights exquisite tea objects by master ceramic artists from Japan: tea bowls, water jars, tea caddies, as well as paintings by master potters who also practiced the art of calligraphy.

Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present the first ever solo exhibition of the works of Mingei artist Murata Gen in North America. The show will explore the plethora of vessels & functional forms Murata created, with an emphasis on his sensitivity for painted clay surfaces. “The Heart’s Eye: In Search of Murata Gen” illustrates an affectual and emotional side of Mingei craft expression through the works of Murata Gen alongside the works of his contemporaries (Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Shoji Hamada, Kawai Kanjiro, and Matsuzaki Ken) in modern & contemporary Japan.

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 celebrate and establish him as an important part of Mashiko, Mingei, and Japanese folk-craft modern history. Influenced by the likes of Yanagi Soetsu, Mingei craft, Mashiko, and the art of yakimono pottery, Murata Gen's humble beginnings and storied career is sure to delight collectors of modern & contemporary design. The show includes a full digital exhibition catalog as part of our digital library.

Dai Ichi Arts is proud to present our exhibition "Tsubo: The Art of Vessels", on the occasion of the Fall 2022 iteration of Asia Week New York. The Jar or Tsubo (壺) is a conceptually, technically, and visually boundless category of Japanese ceramics. This exhibition explores sublime interpretations of the Tsubo form by Japan's modern & contemporary ceramic masters.