Hayashi Yasuo 林康夫 Japanese, b. 1928

The art of floral arrangement in Japan has a modern and avant-garde history that is intertwined with development of modern ceramic visual arts. Both tea masters and flower arrangement (Ikebana) artists are the natural companions for ceramic artists in the course of their work. On one hand, ceramic artists are deeply involved in universe of tea ceremony ceramics, devising visual languages in tea ware such as tea bowls and water jars. On the other hand, and often also as part of the tea ceremony, flower vases are also a category of object that ceramic artists encounter. Below is an excerpt from Japanese ceramic specialist Kazuko Todate, on the development of Tea ceramics & Ikebana ceramics that was an influence on several postwar schools of ceramic art including Shiko-kai, Sodeisha, and more.

Field notes from Beatrice in Kyoto: “The same street; the same house. I have been visiting this space since the early 2000’s. Both the house and Hayashi sensei were surprising discoveries when doing research for the book I was writing at the time with Sam Lurie.Once again, he guided me me to his small studio where he has been working alone for seven decades. At age of 95, Hayashi sensei’s exhibition schedule is busier than ever. He will have an upcoming exhibition at the Kyoto State art museum, before going on to participate in an exhibition in an Osaka next April. After that, he already has another one lined up at the Ibaraki Museum next year. I am always amazed at his work ethic and genius. Currently, he is working on a very touching project. He is still making works for the Tsunami victims. In particular, the youth as many of them had “lost their houses”, as well as their families and homes, completely uprooting their lives. Hayashi sensei told me: “My wife and I have no kids: whatever we have, we would like leave to them [the children who were victims of the 2011 tsunami]”. He continued with an example: “there will be a young artist who will live in this house after we are gone.” Hayashi sensei was so struck by the collective trauma and damages of the towns by the tsunami, that he decided to make many broken / damaged houses in memory of loss. Dai Ichi Arts will celebrate this outstanding pioneer along with other Sodeisha artists in March of 2024. We look forward to your visit.”

We are delighted to spotlight a recent panel discussion and conversation on the history and aesthetics of of Avant-Garde Ceramics at the Osaka University of...

Hayashi Yasuo 林康夫 (b. 1928) embodies the maxim "clay prolongs life," as he has been a practicing ceramic artist for over six decades. Today he even drives from Kyoto to Tokyo to attend his exhibitions! Age has never deterred this significant artist, who was one of founder of Shiko-kai 四耕会(1947), a precursor of the influential Japanese avant-garde ceramics group Sodei-sha 走泥社 (1948), when he was only 19 years old. The art critic KIMURA Shigenobu 木村重信(1925-2017) has identified Hayashi Yasuo's "Cloud" sculpture as the first totally non-functional ceramic work, which according to Kimura made Hayashi "the real forerunner in the field." This departure from traditional ceramic techniques freed future generations of Japanese ceramic artists...