We are pleased to present a solo exhibition by Masafumi Onishi for the first time in two years.
Onishi may be best known for works with strongly dynamic forms and dramatic kiln transformations created by heavy deposits of ash, but his more classical works are also truly wonderful. Pieces coated entirely in a red slip known as aka-dobe and fired in a jagama—a single-chamber wood-fired kiln in which the entire kiln functions like a chimney—develop a deep, subdued yet lustrous red. Their wonderfully tactile surfaces almost make you want to keep running your hands over them.
Aka-dobe originally developed from the practice of applying a clay slip that served somewhat like a glaze to help prevent water from leaking through unglazed vessels. Fascinated by its beauty, Onishi has studied the aka-dobe of old Tamba ware, seeking not only to recreate it but to surpass it, and his works already possess more than enough beauty of their own. With wood-fired ceramics such as Iga, Shigaraki, and Bizen, the side covered in ash and displaying the most dramatic kiln effects is often presented as the front. However, Onishi specified the opposite orientation for the works delivered for this exhibition. The back of the flower vessel shown here is richly covered in natural ash glaze and displays intense kiln transformations, yet he chose the other side as its front. Is this a sign of Onishi’s obsession with aka-dobe—or his confidence in it?
Once again, the exhibition will feature a generous selection of new tea ware, flower vessels, sake ware, and tableware. We warmly invite you to visit ♡
