Makoto Yamaguchi: Shino & Oribe

Our first special exhibition of 2021 will be “Makoto Yamaguchi: Shino & Oribe.”

The exhibition will feature Shino, to which Yamaguchi devoted himself throughout 2020 in an effort to “reconsider” and refine his approach, alongside Oribe works including his newly developed 2021 Oribe Rinpa designs.

Yamaguchi’s Shino had already established a devoted following for its distinctive qualities—the texture of its surface, the character of the clay, the way the iron decoration bleeds into the glaze, and forms so sharply defined that they can almost feel austere. So when we heard that he intended to “reconsider” his Shino, we were surprised. Then came the invitation: “Come help me fire the kiln.”

His concentration was extraordinary. We were called in for a midsummer firing—a season when kiln firing would normally be avoided—and although we assisted for less than two days, the scene was almost infernal, with flames bursting from the kiln mouth. Yet throughout it all, Yamaguchi’s eyes seemed fixed not on what was happening in front of him, but one or two steps beyond.

Through this willingness to throw himself into the fire, so to speak, combined with meticulous research and experimentation, a new Shino of remarkable depth and intensity emerged.

And then there is Oribe.

Yamaguchi combines bold compositions that take full advantage of the depth and dimensionality unique to three-dimensional forms with elements drawn from classical Japanese design. To these he adds the textures and unpredictable transformations that only the kiln can produce, creating works that embody the spirit of Oribe in a distinctly contemporary form.

For this exhibition, we also asked him to introduce motifs from Chōjū-giga, the celebrated medieval scrolls depicting frolicking animals. The combination of powerful forms and finely detailed iron painting has always given his work a certain grandeur, but the addition of these playful creatures seems to bring with it a new atmosphere—as though a soft breeze has suddenly begun to blow through the work.

We believe this exhibition possesses the energy to blow away some of the gloom that continues to linger amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

We very much hope you will come and see the exhibition.