The global spread of the coronavirus has meant a difficult period of self-isolation, and the government's extension of the state of emergency has further prolonged this period of self-isolation.

If this exhibition cannot be held, we may have to post and sell the works on the Kakiden Gallery website. I sincerely hope that will not be necessary.

The terrifying thing about this virus is not only its high infectivity and lethality, but also its ability to separate people from one another.

I'm currently working from home, but exhibitions and lectures have been postponed, and tea ceremonies and drinking parties have been cancelled.

We had planned a tea ceremony to coincide with the exhibition, but it has been canceled this time.

According to rumors, the Yamagata Don'ō Tea Ceremony, which is held every June, has also been canceled.

In 1629, during the Purple Robe Incident, Zen Master Takuan was exiled from Kyoto to Kaminoyama in Dewa Province (present-day Yamagata Prefecture), where he spent three years at "Shun'uan."

However, he was warmly welcomed by the feudal lord, Toki Yoriyuki, and it is said that he found solace in his exile by appreciating the beauty of nature.

His letters to his younger brother, Hanbei Akiba, describe his lifestyle.

Since he was living in seclusion, did Takuan enjoy the tea ceremony alone?

While imagining such things, I too am preparing tea for myself using a tea bowl made by Masahiko Ichino .

Incidentally, Takuan is from Izushi in Tajima Province (present-day Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture), which is even further inland than Tanba.

Now, let me introduce "TANBA - Tea Ceremony Pottery Exhibition III by 10 Artists."

Shinsui Ichino is currently a leading expert in tea ceremony ceramics in Tamba ware.

Like his father, the first Nobumizu, he is renowned for his exceptional pottery wheel skills.

The cylindrical "Tamba tea bowl" is made using traditional Tamba ware techniques and fired in a semi-underground kiln.

The front is covered with a natural glaze mixed with ash, and the characteristic crimson color and fallen ash of Tamba ware create a rustic charm.

Masahiko Ichino is a leading ceramic artist representing contemporary Tamba.

Since 2009, he has been working on pottery that fuses his own artistic style with the traditions of Tanba, using traditional Tanba techniques.

This "Tanba-i" is based on his signature spherical shaping technique, with variations in the rim design.

As shown in the image above, it possesses a simple yet modern beauty.

Masahiko Imanishi is particular about the clay he uses, going to the mountains himself to collect it and firing his pottery in a traditional Tanba-style snake kiln.

I've previously experimented with black and white Tamba ware, but this slightly oval-shaped "Tamba tea bowl" is my attempt at white Tamba ware. However, because the firing temperature was too high, iron content bled out, resulting in a brushstroke-like pattern.

Masterpieces may be born from such coincidences.

Iyo Oogami is an artist who has gained attention for her "cutely spooky" dolls inspired by Japanese lucky charms and yokai (supernatural beings).

It is said that the white elephant appeared in the dream of Maya, the mother of Buddha, and prophesied the birth of Buddha.

Elephants have long been considered sacred animals and symbols of fertility.

Perhaps that's why the "White Elephant Bowl" exudes an indescribable sense of divinity.

Masafumi Oonishi 's "Red Tanba Tea Bowl" is not made using the red clay unique to Tanba, and is a tea bowl unlike any other previously seen in Tanba.

It is said that when pigments are mixed with the raw clay from Tanba and fired in a climbing kiln, it turns red.

The red surface of the vessel is covered with natural glaze, and its slight distortion creates an indescribable beauty of form.

Katsumi Kako has previously experimented with unique techniques such as "Haikaku," which features patterns applied with red bengara (red iron oxide pigment), and "Awayuki," which expresses natural flow by partially applying feldspar.

The "Ginkakuji bowl" is made using an extremely time-consuming process: after bisque firing, arabesque patterns are drawn using wax-removal, a white slip is applied and fired again to bring out the patterns, then red overglaze is applied and fired, and finally silver is applied and fired again.

Ichiji Shimizu is a ceramic artist who is active primarily in the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition.

I create works using a mixture of Tamba clay and Shigaraki clay, expressing abstract patterns against background colors such as pink and purple.

This "white-glazed bowl" is made using clay from Kyoto, and its appeal lies in the way black and white glazes are applied in alternating layers, and the abstract patterns boldly arranged using the firing process.

Takeshi Shimizu is a highly acclaimed artist who has received numerous awards, including the Excellence Award at the 2018 "Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition," the Gold Prize at the "Mino Tea Bowl Exhibition," and the Excellence Award at the 2019 "Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition."

This "Tamba water container" is a stoneware fired in a pit kiln with an ash glaze, and while simple, it possesses a solid, well-defined form.

In particular, the bottom on both sides is slightly raised, giving the otherwise heavy water container a sense of lightness or even floating.

Nobuhito Nakaoka 's "Colored Ash Glazed Water Jar" is made by shaping it with red clay, applying a white slip, bisque firing it, then applying pigment around the rim, and finally applying an ash glaze over the entire piece before firing it again. The blue glaze flows over the white base, creating a beautiful glaze pattern.

Furthermore, the inside is a deep blue due to the pigment, giving the impression of holding refreshing water.

Peter Hamann 's "Celadon Wind Dance Tea Bowl" was named "Wind Dance" after the twisted pattern of the Five Rings.

The seven characters of the Zen phrase "Iwamatsu Mushin Furai Gin" mean "The wind blows from the pine trees rooted in large rocks, and their rustling sound is beautiful because it is without intention or purpose," but it is a phrase that explains the principles of the tea ceremony.

This tea bowl evokes that feeling of a gentle breeze.

Kouichi Mori (Art critic, Standing Director of the Japan Ceramic Society)