For the first time since January 2020, we are delighted to present another solo exhibition by Shinsuke Nishioka.
The first thing that struck me was just how dramatically richer and more varied his expression has become.
Nishioka has gained full command of the wood-fired kiln he built in 2019, while greatly expanding the range of his forms and designs. At the same time, he has continued to explore ever more deeply the textures, materials, and methods of making that define ceramics. Seeing this development, I was reminded once again just how deeply Nishioka loves pottery.
And there is more!
Even within Kizeto, the style for which Nishioka is best known, he will unveil a new variation that he calls Kokukode.
Nishioka himself describes it as “a fusion of Kizeto and Raku,” and visually, that is certainly what it appears to be. But the story behind the name is quite something in itself.
The kokuko, or black fox, is a mythical creature found in Chinese and Japanese tradition and is regarded as a symbol of peace. The “black” (koku) comes from the color of the work and its incorporation of elements of Raku. The “fox” (ko) comes from kitsune-age, another name for abura-age, or fried tofu. With its dark version of the characteristic abura-age surface associated with Kizeto, the work came to be called Kokukode Kizeto.
The work shown as No. 1 in the catalogue has yet another name: Ena-guri.
This form takes inspiration from Chōjirō’s famous Raku tea bowl Mukiguri (“Peeled Chestnut”), reinterpreting it in the hexagonal form traditionally associated with Kizeto. The name Ena-guri comes from Ena chestnuts, a celebrated local specialty of the Mino region where Nishioka’s kiln is located.
We may think of a ceramic object as something primarily enjoyed with the eyes, but once we free ourselves from that limitation and approach it from different angles, even tea and sake somehow seem to taste better.
And of course, the ceramics themselves are exceptional. The superb abura-age skin has acquired an added depth and austerity, and together with the fascination of Nishioka’s forms, the works simply command your attention.
Come and see the work of an artist who, right now, is absolutely exploding with creative energy.
