Isezaki Jun 伊勢崎淳 b. 1936

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.

“Living National Treasure” is a popular term for the title, Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties (重要無形文化財保持者). The honors began in 1947, when Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs created the system in order to preserve cultural or artistic skill sets, a piece of heritage that is “intangible”. Dai Ichi Arts is delighted to present a group exhibition of the exceptional works of Japan’s ceramic Living National Treasures, on the occasion of March Asia Week 2023. “Intangible Heritage: The Art of Japan’s Living National Treasures” shows the modern masters in a new light. From porcelain to stoneware; from celadon to iron glazes, expect a stunning range of ceramic techniques. The artists showcased are pioneers and leaders of their respective craft, whose legacies continue to inspire around the world.

List of Artists featured: ● SHIMIZU Uichi 清水 卯一（b.1926-2004) Designated LNT in 1985 ● KONDO Yuzo 近藤悠三 (b.1902-1985) Designated LNT in 1977 ● TOKUDA Yasokichi Ⅲ 3代 徳田八十吉 (b.1933-2009) Designated LNT in 1997 ● HAMADA Shoji 濱田庄司 (b.1894 - 1978) Designated LNT in 1955 ● NAKAJIMA Hiroshi 中島宏 (b.1941-2018) Designated LNT in 2007 ● FUJIWARA Yu 藤原雄 (b.1932- 2001) Designated LNT in 1996 ● HARA Kiyoshi 原 清 (b.1936) Designated LNT in 2005 ● MATSUI Kosei 松井康成 (b.1927-2003) Designated LNT in 1993 ● TAMURA Koichi 田村耕一 (1918-1987) Designated LNT in 1986 ● SHIMAOKA Tatsuzo 島岡達三 (b.1919-2007) Designated LNT 1996 ● YOSHITA Minori 吉田美統 (b.1932) Designated LNT in 2001 ● INOUE Manji 井上萬二 (b. 1929) Designated LNT in 1995 ● ISEZAKI Jun 伊勢崎淳 (b.1936) Designated LNT in 2004 ● KATO Takuo 加藤卓夫 (1917-2005) Designated LNT in 1995 ● IMAIZUMI Imaemon XIII 十三代今泉今右衛門 (b.1926-2001) Designated LNT in 1989 ● MIWA Kyusetsu XI 十一代 三輪休雪(b.1910-2012) Designated LNT in 1983 ● TOMIMOTO Kenkichi富本憲吉 (b.1886-1963) Designated LNT in 1955 ● SUZUKI Osamu 鈴木蔵 (b. 1934) Designated LNT in 1994

Yakishime represents a unique chapter in modern art’s engagement with indigenous and ancient artistic traditions. After World War II, Japanese artists experimented with Western styles of modern art while reconsidering their own national identity. Ceramicists explored the legacies of artists like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, who looked to non-Western and ancient influences for inspiration and self-reflection, contributing to a movement that has been called primitivism. Such outlooks have since been criticized by historians for reinforcing imperialist hierarchies and notions of otherness. Operating decades later and in a starkly different political reality, Japanese artists looked inward to find their distinct voice in global conversations on modernity. Yakishime moved Japanese traditions away from its recent imperialist legacy and toward a new modern outlook.

The perfect texture must start with the perfect clay. Whispering Ash presents works created from Iga clay, the iconic kilns of Bizen, and much more. Japanese ceramic artists have been known to go to extremes to find the perfect clay texture and ash deposits, a tendency only encouraged by Yakishime. A specific clay deposit can pass from one generation to the next, a carefully guarded resource. While some potters chew a piece of clay to determine its quality, others smell and feel it, highlighting the sensory knowledge required. Certain clays and textures produce different ash colors depending on the kind of wood, and each potter must calibrate his materials and his kiln carefully to achieve the desired result, a perfect wabi-sabi balance. The Yakishime work passes on the sensory knowledge of the artist with its composition of clay and ash. 土の味 refers to “the flavor of clay” while 景色 is another key term that means “the marks from wood fire,” the two protagonists of wabi-sabi excellence in yakishime pottery.

For our Whispering Ash exhibition, we have carefully selected several distinctive clay surfaces and have studied the historical progress of the Yakishime style in order to examine just how artists have orchestrated the great symphony of clay and ash.