Vessel Explored / Vessel Transformed:
Tomimoto Kenkichi and his Enduring Legacy
March 13 - April 26, 2019
Our groundbreaking exhibition and its accompanying publication, Vessel Explored / Vessel Transformed: Tomimoto Kenkichi and his Enduring Legacy, the first of its type outside Japan, opens during Asia Week New York at Joan B Mirviss LTD. Presented in conjunction with Japan’s leading modern ceramic dealer, Shibuya Kurodatoen Co., LTD, the exhibition focuses on the remarkable artist and teacher, TOMIMOTO KENKICHI (1886-1963). While a relative unknown in the west, Tomimoto is revered as the father of this field. He was the most significant figure in the world of twentieth-century Japanese ceramics, and his impact continues through his gifted and inspired former pupils and their talented students, many of whom are now professors of ceramics. Together they have transformed and surpassed the classical standards for functional ceramic excellence—devotion to the ancient Chinese traditions in tandem with an allegiance to the late 16th-century Momoyama tea wares–– and brought to their oeuvres a new, contemporary, and highly influential sensibility. Without Tomimoto and his legacy of pupils, Japan would not be in the preeminent position as champion of contemporary clay that it is today.
Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963)
Large rounded white vessel
1936
Glazed porcelain
8 5/8 x 12 5/8 inches
Inv# 10905
SOLD
Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963)
Sake flask with fern pattern
after 1952
Glazed porcelain with gold and silver glazes over red overglaze
6 x 3 7/8 x 3 1/2 inches
Inv# 10772
Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963)
Iro-e square covered box
1941
Glazed porcelain
2 5/8 x 7 1/8 x 7 1/4 inches
Inv# 11035
SOLD
Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963)
Sake flask with 4-petal floral pattern
1944
Polychrome overglaze enameled porcelain
7 x 3 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches
Inv# 10771
Kawai Kanjirō (1890-1966)
Flask-vase with floral relief decoration
ca. 1953
Polychrome-glazed stoneware
6 x 7 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches
Inv# 10725
SOLD
Hamada Shōji (1894-1978)
Vessel with resist patterning
ca. 1976
Persimmon-glazed stoneware
10 x 8 1/2 x 8 inches
Inv# 10726
SOLD
Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979)
Tubular sculpture with stamped floral pattern
ca. 1957
Slip-glazed stoneware
Inv# 10717
9 1/2 x 4 x 3 3/4 inches
SOLD
Kitaōji Rosanjin (1886-1963)
Sake flask with curvilinear and polka-dot pattern
ca. 1940
Polychrome overglaze enameled porcelain
4 1/2 x 2 7/8 inches
Inv# 10696
SOLD
Fujimoto Yoshimichi (Nōdō) (1919-1992)
Vase with geometric patterning
ca. 1972
Overglaze enameled stoneware
8 7/8 x 9 3/8 x 10 inches
Inv# 10719
SOLD
Kondō Yūzō (1902-1985)
Round white vessel
1938
Glazed porcelain
7 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
SOLD
Kondō Yūzō (1902-1985)
Vase with plum-blossom pattern
ca. 1976
Cobalt-blue glazed porcelain with gold overglaze
8 x 8 inches
Inv# 10840
SOLD
Kondō Yutaka (1932-1983)
Textured vase with impressed patterning
ca. 1982
Glazed stoneware with white slip inlay
13 1/8 x 6 1/2 inches
Inv# 10374
SOLD
Yanagihara Mutsuo (b. 1934)
Silver oribe sculpted vessel
1997-98
Glazed stoneware
19 7/8 x 12 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches
Inv# 10846
SOLD
Tamura Kōichi (1918-1987)
Iron and copper-glazed, plum blossom patterned, large vessel
ca. 1983
Glazed stoneware
13 1/4 x 13 1/2 inches
Inv# 11016
SOLD
Kuriki Tatsusuke (1943-2013)
Vessel with silver banding
ca. 1979
Glazed stoneware with silver overglaze
9 3/4 x 9 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches
Inv# 10758
SOLD
Kuriki Tatsusuke (1943-2013)
Bluish green tubular vessel
ca. 1967
Glazed stoneware
11 1/2 x 14 x 14 inches
SOLD
Morino Hiroaki Taimei (b. 1934)
Vessel with wave pattern
ca. 1990
Glazed stoneware
12 x 10 x 6 inches
Inv# 10730
SOLD
Kamoda Shōji (1933-1983)
Columnar vessel with ribbon pattern
1976
Glazed stoneware
10 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches
Inv# 10953
SOLD
Wada Morihiro (1944-2008)
Black, red and ochre rectangular waisted standing vessel
ca. 1995
Slip-glazed stoneware
11 3/4 x 8 x 7 3/4 inches
Inv# 10703
SOLD
Nagasawa Setsuko (b. 1941)
Black and white two-part sculpture
2018
Glazed porcelain and stoneware
17 x 7 7/8 x 11 inches
SOLD
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012)
Against the Winds
2010
Glazed stoneware with colored-clay bands
18 3/4 x 19 x 5 inches
Inv# 10872
SOLD
Tsuboi Asuka (b. 1932)
Spring Autumn Philosopher's Lane
2018
Glazed stoneware with gold overglaze
11 1/4 x 8 x 7 1/2 inches
Inv# 10891
SOLD
Matsuda Yuriko (b. 1943)
Iro-e teabowl, ca. 2016
Glazed porcelain
3 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
Inv# 10769
SOLD
Maeda Masahiro (b. 1948)
Faceted water jar decorated with bird motif
1982
Five-color enameled porcelain with silver overglaze
5 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches
SOLD
Hayashi Kaku (b. 1953)
Cloudy Now; Fine Later
2018
Glazed stoneware with gold and platinum overglazes
9 x 13 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches
Inv# 10884
SOLD
Kawasaki Tsuyoshi (b. 1942)
Machi; Townscape
2014
Glazed stoneware with a thin layer of porcelain clay
12 1/2 x 14 1/4 x 13 inches
Inv# 10889
SOLD
Matsui Kōsei (1927-2003)
Marbleized vessel with tidal-grass patterning
ca. 1989
Marbleized stoneware
11 1/2 x 12 inches
Inv# 10845
SOLD
Kondō Takahiro (b. 1958)
Monolith-Blue Mist
2017
Glazed porcelain, cast glass and silver mist glaze
34 x 7 1/2 x 5 inches
Inv# 10748
SOLD
Kitamura Junko (b. 1956)
Double-walled vessel
2004
Stoneware ith black slip glaze, inlaid with white slip glaze
7 x 10 1/2 inches
Inv# 11103
SOLD
Sakiyama Takayuki (b. 1958)
Chōtō; "Listening to the Waves"
2018
Stoneware with sand glaze
16 1/2 x 16 x 16 1/2 inches
Inv# 10883
SOLD
Katsumata Chieko (b. 1950)
Akoda; Pumpkin
2018
Stoneware with matte glazes
11 x 12 x 10 inches
Inv# 10754
SOLD
Tashima Etsuko (b. 1959)
Cornucopia 00-VIII
2000
Stoneware and cast glass
16 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 7 inches
Inv# 10848
SOLD
Takeuchi Kōzō (b. 1977)
Modern Remains: Intention
2018
Porcelain, lacquer on wood
31 1/4 x 21 1/2 x 16 inches
Inv# 10847
SOLD
Matsui Kōsei (1927-2003)
Blue and white neriage (marbleized) vessel
ca. 1988
Marbleized stoneware
8 3/8 x 8 1/2 inches
Inv# 10977
SOLD
Kawai Kanjirō (1890-1966)
Vessel with tri-color splashed decoration
ca. 1955
Glazed stoneware
7 1/2 x 9 x 5 3/4 inches
Inv# 10739
SOLD
Fujimoto Yoshimichi (Nōdō) (1919-1992)
Inlaid modernist vessel
ca. 1965
Glazed stoneware
8 x 9 7/8 inches
Inv# 8139
SOLD
Saeki Moriyoshi (b. 1949)
Inlaid, flattened vessel
2018
Glazed stoneware
9 x 19 x 4 3/4 inches
Inv# 10932
SOLD
Kondō Yūzō (1902-1985)
Blue-and-white vase with thistle design
ca. 1930
Glazed porcelain
8 1/2 x 6 5/8 x 6 3/4 inches
Inv# 10839
SOLD
Kamoda Shōji (1933-1983)
Flattened vase with flared base
1969
Scraped-slip on stoneware
11 1/8 8 x 5 1/2 inches
Inv# 10768
SOLD
Kiyomizu Rokubey VII (1922-2006)
Rounded vase with gold banding
ca. 1962
Irabo (wood ash)-glazed stoneware
7 7/8 x 9 5/8 x 7 inches
Inv# 10735
SOLD
Yanagihara Mutsuo (b. 1934)
Yellow oribe sculpture
1994-early 1996
Glazed stoneware
28 3/4 x 15 x 8 1/4 inches
Inv# 10844
SOLD
Maeda Masahiro (b. 1948)
Vessel with geoemetric patterning
2006
Polychrome overglaze enameled porcelain
10 3/4 x 7 1/4 inches
Inv# 10876
SOLD
Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979)
Leaning vessel with geometric patterning
ca. 1970
Glazed stoneware with white and black slip-glaze
9 x 8 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches
Inv# 10765
SOLD
As a technical innovator and genius with surface decoration, Tomimoto Kenkichi was the founder of the ceramics department at Kyoto City University of Arts, which profoundly changed the direction for the next generation of clay artists. Tomimoto believed that patterns should never be reused and took inspiration from Nature in order to keep his work fresh and new, often instructing his students:
“For pattern, look to nature and its beauty–– form, line, and color. Study and understand how they are structured.”
Not born into a traditional pottery family but educated in things Western, having traveled in the West and befriended the major English ceramic artist, Bernard Leach, Tomimoto had a much broader view of Japanese ceramics than many of his contemporaries. As a teacher, he expounded on the importance of individuality, originality, and the confluence of forms and patterns. Throughout his life, he remained steadfast in his own beliefs and attempted to instill these ethical values in his pupils.
“The legacy Tomimoto left his students, through his many texts and instructions at university, is of utmost importance to the history of Japanese art….The discourse of modern Japanese ceramics was profoundly affected by Tomimoto’s teaching.”
MEGHEN M. JONES (Dissertation, 2014, p. 287)
Vessel Explored / Vessel Transformed: Tomimoto Kenkichi and his Enduring Legacy will showcase works by the teacher along with ceramics by his former pupils, artists and teachers in their own right, and their pupils. Noteworthy among this illustriou group are:
Kamoda Shōji,
Kondō Yūzō,
Kuriki Tatsusuke,
Matsuda Yuriko,
Tamura Kōichi,
Tsuboi Asuka,
Wada Morihiro and
Yanagihara Mutsuo.
From the third generation are:
Hayashi Kaku,
Koike Shōko,
Kondō Takahiro,
Maeda Masahiro,
Matsui Kōsei,
Ogawa Machiko, and
Tashima Etsuko. Masterworks by many of the greatest stars of Japanese modern and contemporary ceramics will be on view, some created specifically for this important exhibition.
“For pattern, look to nature and its beauty–– form, line, and color. Study and understand how they are structured.”
TOMIMOTO KENKICHI
Additionally, to give further historical context to the show, the exhibition will include vessels by several of Tomimoto’s renowned contemporaries in the field: Hamada Shōji, Kawai Kanjirō, Kitaōji Rosanjin, Kiyomizu Rokubey VII, and Yagi Kazuo, all of whom took independent paths.
In our accompanying scholarly publication, we are honored to include scholarly essays by noted experts: Kida Takuya, Professor at Musashino Art University and author of numerous articles on this topic; Meghen M. Jones, Assistant Professor of Art History at Alfred University who wrote her dissertation on Tomimoto; and emerging scholar Trevor Menders. Their essays are complemented by recollections from several of Tomimoto’s former pupils and pioneers in their own right.
ABOUT JOAN B MIRVISS LTD
Joan B. Mirviss has been a distinguished expert in Japanese art, specializing in fine art and ceramics for more than forty years. She is the leading Western dealer in the field of modern and contemporary Japanese ceramics, and from her New York gallery on Madison Avenue, JOAN B MIRVISS LTD exclusively represents the top Japanese clay artists. As a widely published and highly respected specialist in her field, Mirviss has advised and built collections for many museums, major private collectors, and corporations. For show information and high-resolution images, please contact the gallery director at 212-799-4021 or via director@mirviss.com.
Editor's Picks: 11 Things Not to Miss in New York's Art World This Week, Asia Week New York Edition
Mirviss says: "Tomimoto "transformed the course of 20th century ceramics and the field of contemporary clay on a global stage, and he had some major credos, one of them being to not make pattern from patterns...
The Buddhas, Gods and Emperors of Asia Week New York
Joan B. Mirviss, a dealer specialising in Japanese art and ceramics, has organized a retrospective (with a lavish bilingual catalogue) of the work of the ceramicist Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963), who travelled to England and befriended Bernard Leach.
VESSEL EXPLORED / VESSEL TRANSFORMED
Tomimoto Kenkichi and his Enduring Legacy
Joan Mirviss, 13 March to 19 April
Joan Mirviss has devoted more than four dcades to the promotion and support of mainly 20th-century Japanese clay wares in New York and this year's solo showcase is in collaboration with Japan-based Shibuya Kurodatoen Co for the artist and teacher Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963).
Joan B Mirviss Ltd, with the invaluable assistance of Shibuya Kurodatoen Co., Ltd, Japan's leading modern ceramic dealer, is honoured to present "Vessel Explored / Vessel Transformed- Tomimoto Kenkichi and His Enduring Legacy". Joan Mirviss explained: "Tomimoto is revered as the father of his field. He was the most significant figure in the world of 20th century Japanese ceramics and his impact continues through his gifted and inspired former pupils and their talented students, many of whom are now professors of ceramics."
NEW YORK CITY - Joan B Mirviss with the assistance of Japan's modern ceramic dealer, Shibuya Kurodatoen Co, is presenting "Vessel Explored/Vessel Transformed: Tomimoto Kenkichi and His Enduring Legacy" from March 13 - April 20. This exhibition and its accompanying publication, the first of its type outside Japan, focuses on the artist and teacher Tomimoto Kenkichi.
