Exhibition Details

Ippodo Gallery is pleased to present Magic of the Tea Bowl Volume III, a showcase of eighteen selected contemporary ceramic artists representing a variety of styles from classical and traditional to modern emerging visionaries, rising stars, respected masters, and a Living National Treasure, on view from June 8–July 13, 2023.
Japanese artists have ingeniously sought out the perfect chawan form for more than four centuries. This precious history has become integrated to a regional degree; Bizen is one such example of Japan’s 'six great kilns', with rules and procedures that have passed from generation to generation of practitioners (Jun and Koichiro Isezaki, Hiroshi Goseki). Yet, the modern era brings new developments in machinery including the electric kiln, as well as modern works of original character, exemplified by artists such as Yukiya Izumita in Japan’s northeast Tohoku region or Kodai Ujiie in the southern-central Chūbu–Tōkai region.
With over 100 artworks joining the exhibition, Ippodo Gallery invites viewers to discover contemporary achievements in Japanese tea culture and experience their beauty for yourself.
Tea bowls are a key that activates the five senses with a tactile effect. Gradually, each artwork unveils its charm with use and appreciation, be that by participating in chadō or as a visual art form. An alluring microcosm of patterns and shapes unfolds as one witnesses the poignant power of each artist’s mastery. Hence, tea bowls operate to form relationships, linking together two souls, the host and the guest, who may never meet face to face. For fifteen years, Ippodo Gallery has emphasised the benevolent spirit of chadō: tea bowls welcome you to embrace sensibilities of meditation, contemplation, and peace despite life’s tribulations.
Magic of the Tea Bowl Volume III will behold the spellbinding effects of eighteen virtuoso ceramicists who keep the tradition of chawan alive today: Ryusuke Asai, Yasushi Fujihira, Hideyuki Fujisawa, Noriyuki Furutani, Hiroshi Goseki, Tomoyuki Hoshino, Morimitsu Hosokawa, Agnes Husz, Takeshi Imaizumi, Jun Isezaki, Koichiro Isezaki, Yukiya Izumita, Makoto Wakao, Kohei Nakamura, Mokichi Otsuka, Shion Tabata, Kai Tsujimura, and Kodai Ujiie.