We are pleased to present a solo exhibition by Tomohiro Matsumoto. This time, the exhibition will focus primarily on the ash-glazed works he has been exploring recently.
Ash glaze is one of the most ancient, diverse, and fascinating types of glaze. The green ash glaze often seen on Iga ware, for example, is composed mainly of pine ash, which contains more iron than many other types of wood and therefore produces a particularly distinct colour. Regardless of the species of wood, even ash glazes made from the same components can develop different colours and characters depending on the firing and cooling methods, as well as the composition of the clay body.
The highlight of the ash-glazed works in this exhibition is their vivid, highly transparent pale blue, achieved by firing at high temperature in reduction and then cooling the pieces extremely rapidly. Matsumoto will present works that take advantage of these qualities, particularly pieces featuring relief decoration and flowing cobalt designs.
Works with added overglaze red decoration, which we specially asked him to create, are also scheduled to appear during the exhibition. His Shigaraki works, which he has pursued for many years, will be on view as well. This ash glaze seems particularly well suited to Matsumoto’s work, which is characterized by its rich variety of designs. We warmly invite you to visit!
