Takashi Yasuda, the owner of Kakiden Gallery, suggested, "How about we hold the next exhibition as ' Ken Matsubara and Friends Exhibition'?" and the faces of about ten people I know came to mind.

We then reached out to eight artists who had not yet exhibited at the Kakiden Gallery, and they all kindly agreed to participate.

MashikoAkira MiyazawaI met Mr. Yamaguchi of "Yu Craft" in 1989, shortly after I moved to Nasu.

I was captivated by his work, "Stacked Inlay," and asked if we could exchange pieces. He agreed, and we were able to connect with each other... I was happy to know that it wasn't just unrequited love.

Incidentally, he has been harboring a one-sided love for the soil for a very long time.

A friend from Toyama,Shouji GotouMy first encounter with Mr./Ms. [Name] was at the "Shin-Sakuramachi Gallery" in Toyama, where I was taken care of.

I believe it was a joint exhibition with two other ceramic artists.

The artist who was on duty at the gallery asked, "Can you tell which one is my work?"

This is a test!

On a large, unglazed, earthenware plate, Kenji's poem is inscribed... "This is it. They have the same face."

Passed!

Kei FujimuraMr. [Name] moved to Nasu around the same time as me. He quit his office job and, together with his wife, pursued a career in woodworking.

Almost immediately after becoming independent, I also began working with lacquerware, and the iron-mordant-dyed bowls that I've been using in my home for many years have become more transparent and lustrous, developing a beautiful patina over time.

In addition, he has accompanied me to various places for artwork projects at hotels and other facilities that I've been commissioned to do, despite my demanding nature.

Isamu ShiinaI met Mr. Yamaguchi from "Yu Craft" around the same time as Mr. [Name], and he was also introduced to me by Mr. Yamaguchi.

At that time, I was teaching pottery classes at a local hotel while also creating my own works there.

The hit animal-shaped hot pot was also created there, and one of them is in my home.

Afterward, he built a kiln at his home and deepened his own artistic world.

His gentle and earnest personality is directly reflected in his work.

Fuusui MiyaharaMr. [Name]'s work is in the field of lacquerware, specifically dry lacquer, which is now rarely practiced by anyone.

Dry lacquer is a sculpting technique that requires extremely advanced skills.

The Ashura statue at Kofuku-ji Temple, a national treasure, is a masterpiece of dry lacquer Buddhist art representative of the Nara period and is said to be one of the fundamental foundations of Japanese sculptural techniques.

When you hold the piece, you'll find it surprisingly light, far lighter than its appearance suggests, yet its strength is truly astonishing.

Tsuneo NakazawaThe shop's name is "Kaji Kobo Kanuchia" (Blacksmith Workshop Kanuchia).

"Kanuchi" refers to a blacksmith who appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.

After graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Musashino Art University, he started his forging training in a workshop in Nagano, and then went on to train in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

Later, he established a workshop in Nasu, where he creates gates suited to Japanese houses using European techniques, and furniture such as chairs and tables in collaboration with his wife, a woodworker.

Yukako KojimaMs. Hayashiya Seizo, the Toyama branch of the Japan Ceramic Society, is hosting a tea ceremony featuring works by artists who live in or are from Toyama, and the piece that adorned the biwa alcove was her work, which won the grand prize at the 4th Contemporary Glass Grand Prize Exhibition.

The beauty of the light pools created by the form and angles carved from the layered glass sheets is mystical.

Takakuni KawaharaYou Shakunaga is a ceramic artist and artist introduced at the Kakiden Gallery.

She said she was getting married, so I asked, "Who is your partner?"

"People like endangered species"

"Who are you?"

He is the sole successor to the Hirutani washi paper tradition, which was on the verge of extinction.

He studied under Torakichi Yoneoka and is working tirelessly on his own, expanding the possibilities of washi paper in various fields.

This time, I had a washi paper relief made using my silicone mold.

Thanks to Professor Hayashiya's guidance, I was able to deeply engage with various aspects of the tea ceremony.

I believe that the arrangement of a tea ceremony room is a culmination of Japanese aesthetics, created by the interplay of visual representation and harmonious combinations.

I hope you enjoy this "collaboration" of my work with those of my friends.

I, too, enjoy fantasizing about what kind of decorations I could create for that waning moon-shaped floor (pictured above).

Autumn 2020 Ken Matsubara