As our first special exhibition of 2022, we are delighted to present Toshi Yanashita’s fifth solo exhibition at our gallery.
Almost every year, I find myself writing that “Yanashita’s work possesses an active stillness.” He is the kind of artist who approaches ceramics as though he were sharpening a blade—or at least that is how I see him—so there is not always much new for me to add. In the end, it comes down to this: “The blade has become even sharper. Come and see!”
For Yanashita, however, whose work is deeply rooted in the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, this continual refinement is essential. By deepening his understanding of classical masterpieces and continuing to sharpen his approach, insights that belong to Yanashita as an artist living in the present naturally find their way into the work. The result, perhaps, is something we might call “a contemporary embodiment of wabi-sabi by Toshi Yanashita.”
This year, a new design called Katamigawari has been added to his body of work. Bringing two contrasting elements together inevitably creates a sense of movement, and therein lies much of its appeal. Yet Yanashita’s Katamigawari still possesses that characteristic “stillness.”
In the many subtle choices through which he transforms an inherently dynamic design into something imbued with an air of stillness, I feel we are given a small glimpse into the very essence of what Yanashita seeks through his work.
The exhibition will feature new tea wares, flower vessels, sake wares, and tableware.
We very much hope you will come and see the exhibition.
