BEYOND KUTANI II: INNOVATIONS IN FORM AND COLOR
NAKAMURA TAKUO AND TAKEGOSHI JUN
NOVEMBER 7— DECEMBER 2025
Known for its intricate, painterly images created with a bold palette of enamel overglazes, Kutani porcelain has been highly coveted internationally for centuries. In our upcoming conjoint solo show, Beyond Kutani II: Innovations in Form and Color, we are delighted to present new works by two of the most iconic artists working in the medium today—Nakamura Takuo and Takegoshi Jun. Both artists grew up in ceramic-making households in Ishikawa Prefecture, Kutani’s historic home, and each makes conscious references to the classical aesthetic tradition of Kutani in their works. They use, for instance, the traditional five colors (gosai) of Old Kutani (ko-kutani) – emerald green, mustard yellow, peacock blue, brick red, and eggplant purple – and decorate their surfaces with meticulously painted imagery, each with a nod to a particular style of historical Japanese painting. Unrivaled masters of their medium, Nakamura and Takegoshi create works that transform their Kutani-style under- and overglazes from surface decoration into works of art.
TAKEGOSHI JUN (b. 1948)
The son of a master Kutani ceramist, Takegoshi Jun initially pursued modern Nihonga, or Japanese-style painting, at university. He brings his finely honed painter’s sensibility to his polychrome overglaze enamels, which he uses to cover slab-built porcelain vessel forms with vivid scenes of flora and fauna that appear infused with life. Remarkable technical mastery and control are required to achieve the highly-coveted overglaze enamel effects for which Takegoshi is so renowned, from color gradations reminiscent of watercolor washes to the three-dimensional pooling of color that forms the tail feathers on some of his avian subjects. Takegoshi continues to dazzle audiences internationally with his vibrant and playful scenes.
Both artists’ work can be found in international museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Art Institute of Chicago, IL; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA; and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
Beyond Kutani II opens on November 7 and runs through December. The gallery is open to visitors weekdays, 11am to 6pm and by appointment.
