This year, we are once again delighted to present a solo exhibition by Tanimoto.
The exhibition will feature a substantial selection of his ash-glazed white porcelain, a body of work he has been developing over the past three years. Although they could not be included in this catalogue, he will also be presenting sake vessels and tea bowls in this style.
Compared with his Iga and Raku works, the surfaces of the ash-glazed white porcelain are relatively uniform, allowing the fascination and individuality of Tanimoto’s forms to emerge much more clearly. Even the way the glaze is applied reveals something of his thinking about design.
There is a lot going on here. And it is all very interesting.
Tanimoto also happens to be remarkably popular among fellow ceramic artists—according to our own highly unofficial Tobetobekusa research. I think one reason is the complex yet beautiful sense of balance found in his work.
It is not only the forms themselves. The effects of the firing and the character of the surfaces interact beautifully with those forms, ultimately coming together as a single, complete work.
I hope you will enjoy discovering how this balance differs across his Iga, Raku, and ash-glazed white porcelain.
The work is so convincing, in fact, that it almost makes me wonder whether even Tanimoto’s rather peculiar behavior is somehow governed by an underlying sense of beauty.
Perhaps it is.
The exhibition will feature tea wares, flower vessels, sake wares, and tableware, including works in Iga and Raku.
We very much hope you will come and see the exhibition.
