Sakakura succeeded to the name of the 16th generation Sakakura Shinbei in 2024, and is currently holding exhibitions throughout Japan to commemorate the succession.

Reading the article about the succession exhibition, it says that "he has been experimenting with blending traditional Hagi clay with clay he has found himself, hoping to create a new landscape for Hagi ware," and that "in recent years, I have been thinking about how to bring out the power of the clay, and I feel like I have become able to bring out the power of each individual material."

Furthermore, there are two types of tea bowls: those made using a traditional potter's wheel and those with a more sculptural approach, and they are also experimenting with creating textures that cannot be achieved with Hagi clay.

This tea bowl is a wheel-thrown bowl that exhibits a kiln transformation reminiscent of the katami-gawari pattern, which is one of the characteristic features of Hagi ware.

The 16th generation graduated from the Department of Sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, so his sculptural skills are certainly impressive, but above all, his sensibility is excellent.

According to genetic researcher Kazuo Murakami, human sensibilities and behaviors are largely influenced by the unconscious, and 98% of our potential is hidden.

Since the exhibition commemorating the succession to the name, the sensibilities of the 16th generation have become even more refined, and it can be said that their potential is limitless.

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