We are pleased to present our first solo exhibition by Noriyuki Furutani in two years. Once again, the exhibition will feature classical Tenmoku styles such as Oil Spot, Hare’s Fur, and Tori-san, alongside his original Momo-gin Tenmoku technique.
Tenmoku tea bowls handed down from the past have been subjected to compositional analysis using modern scientific technology. Based on those results, artists formulate their raw materials and repeatedly test their firing methods in an effort to approach their ideal. We are told that most Tenmoku potters use gas or electric kilns, which are relatively easy to control and allow the firing to proceed according to plan. The basic approach is one of meticulous calculation and carefully controlling the process toward an intended result.
Within this world of Tenmoku, however, Furutani fires his work in an anagama. Why? Because there is something in the flames of a wood-fired kiln that lies beyond human knowledge and control, and he believes that this unknowable element is an essential part of what makes the work what it is. I love this way of thinking. In pursuit of drawing real beauty out of that sense of romance, Furutani continues to engage with the anagama through constant trial and error, creating the beautiful Tenmoku that is uniquely his own.
