This Valentine’s Day, we revisit Miwa Ryūkishō (b. 1940) and his homage to one of the most iconic American artists of the 20th century, Robert Indiana (1928–2018). The influence is unmistakable in a singular motif: the word LOVE, rendered in bold, serif capital letters.
On this thickly glazed Hagi sculptural vase, Miwa sculpts a striking pooling of viscous white glaze on one side. Yet, rather than replicating Indiana’s vibrant color schemes, Miwa infuses the piece with his own signature—the celebrated Hagi glaze of the Miwa family. Here, Indiana’s LOVE serves as a stylistic catalyst, inspiring a dynamic fusion of Japanese ceramic tradition, geometric abstraction, and American Pop Art. The result is a bold, energetic, and eccentric vase that bridges cultural and artistic legacies.
Miwa Ryukisho (Kyusetsu XII, born Ryosaku) was born into the prestigious Miwa pottery family. The twelfth member of his family to hold the title “Kyusetsu 休雪,” the artist closely observed his father and uncle creating Hagi pottery from a young age, quickly becoming familiar with the style’s distinctive materials and techniques. He is also known as Miwa Kyusetsu XII, but to express his individuality as an artist and sculptor while maintaining his potter heritage, he assumed the name Miwa Ryosaku, and more recently, Ryukisho and publishes artworks under this name to delineate between the professional identities of artist, sculptor, and potter.
Miwa Ryosaku's signature at the back of this object-vase, signed "R. MIWA". Over time, the "R" has stood for many names including Ryosaku and since 2019, Ryukisho.
See more works from the artist here.
