Once again this year, we are pleased to present a solo exhibition by Katsunori Sawa.
The exhibition will feature new works in Shigaraki, Oribe, and yobitsugi. Yobitsugi has become one of Sawa’s popular styles, but we are often asked, “What exactly is yobitsugi?” So here is a brief explanation. Yobitsugi is a form of kintsugi, the traditional technique for repairing ceramics. Kintsugi primarily uses urushi lacquer as an adhesive and as a filler for missing areas. It is called kintsugi because gold powder is applied to the surface as a finishing decoration, although the amount of gold actually used is only a tiny part of the repair. Normally, when repairing a damaged area, the original broken pieces are used. In yobitsugi, however, a fragment from another ceramic piece, or sometimes even another material, is fitted into the missing area. In other words, a different fragment is “called in” to complete the piece.
Yobitsugi, then, was originally a repair technique. Sawa’s yobitsugi takes this method and incorporates it into the work from the very beginning. It was also a technique favored by his teacher, Goro Suzuki. Recently, Sawa has begun using fragments of works made by his friends, which makes the process even more fascinating. He brings together his own work with fragments made by other artists, people working from entirely different ideas, carefully adjusting the different elements until they become a single whole. I cannot help feeling that Sawa’s own personality plays a part in making this possible. Incidentally, yobitsugi is also regarded as auspicious, symbolizing the bringing together of human connections.
Once again, the exhibition will feature tea ware, flower vessels, sake ware, and tableware. We warmly invite you to visit.
