Sake Bottle by Kakurezaki Ryuichi

Exceptional Sake Bottle by Kakurezaki Ryuichi.
5” x 5”. With custom box.
Kakurezaki Ryiuichi is highly celebrated artist whose exhibitions in Japan often sell out within minutes of opening. Kakurezaki was born in Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu, and now lives and works in Imbe, the ancient home of Bizen ware. He has the advantage of being viewed as an outsider in Imbe, which allows him to experiment in ways that most of the other 500 potters working there cannot. While he works within the tradition of Bizen, his work is quite aesthetically different from conventional Bizen wares. His fresh and independent vision has inspired other potters to contend with classical forms, and has already established a standard of his own.

“I do not intend to create something avant-garde in the Bizen style. My works are always functional, and I create ‘crafts’ that are indispensable for everyday life. I think it important that professional potters should create something in response to the needs of our society. My preference is to be seen as a craftsman whose work is avant-garde, rather than an avant-garde artist.”
-Honoho geijutsu, no.67. Abe Shuppan, 2001: pp. 16-17

1950 Born in Fukue, Nagasaki
1973 Graduated from Osaka University of Art
1985 Guest artist, Skidmore College, NY
1990 Became an official member of Japan Craft Association
1991 Featured on TV program, Studio Visit “Tsukuru (create)” by NHK
1996 Commissioned wall piece, a health facility Picasso, Kanazawa
1999 Lecturer, Shigaraki Ceramic Park Museum, Shiga
2005 Guest artist at master’s workshop at Harvard University
2006 Guest lecturer at “Ceramics at Harvard” “Bizen: Generational and Cultural Crossover”