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Exhibition/event has ended.

The Ceramic Art of Modern Kyoto Blooms: Sango Uno and Kanjiro Kawai

The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park

Finished

Artists

Sango Uno, Kanjiro Kawai

From the Meiji era, when Japan began to adopt Western technology and culture, through the individualistic spirit represented by movements like the Shirakaba-ha in the Taisho period, and into the tumultuous years leading up to the world wars in the early Showa period, modern Japan experienced significant transformations. Against this backdrop, the ceramic industry in modern Kyoto faced the urgent need for rapid modernization due to the upheaval in traditional social structures brought about by the Meiji Restoration, the loss of demand, and the successive deaths of master craftsmen representing Kyoto ware. Responding to the needs of the industry in such circumstances, the Kyoto Ceramic Testing Institute was established in 1896 to promote the ceramic industry, improve technology, and foster talent.
Sango Uno (1902-1988) and Kanjiro Kawai (1890-1966) both studied and mastered cutting-edge techniques at the Kyoto Ceramic Testing Institute and left significant marks on the modern ceramic scene in Kyoto from different perspectives and ideologies. Uno, the fourth son of the renowned Kyoto potter Jinsai Uno, was a unique figure who worked on classical tea wares and suimono (water containers) while also founding the avant-garde ceramic group Shikokai, showcasing his free spirit in various contexts. On the other hand, Kawai, after graduating from the Tokyo Higher Industrial School, worked as a technician at the Kyoto Ceramic Testing Institute before establishing a kiln on Gojozaka in Kyoto and promoting the Mingei (Folk Craft) Movement alongside philosopher Soetsu Yanagi. Influenced by folk crafts made by anonymous craftsmen, Kawai emphasized practicality in his pottery while also exploring beyond utility with sculptural ceramics and various materials, expressing the idea that "everything is my expression."

This exhibition, divided into two parts, showcases the diverse expressions of modern Japanese ceramics from recently donated masterpieces. Part 1 focuses on the works of Sango Uno and Kanjiro Kawai, two crucial figures in modern Kyoto with deep connections to Shigaraki, reflecting on the blooming of modernity.

Venue: Ceramic Art Gallery, Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park

Schedule

Mar 2 (Sat) 2024-Mar 31 (Sun) 2024