Illustrated
is a very large and bold Iga vase by one of my favorite contemporary Iga
potters, Kojima Kenji. Standing sentinel, this
is a very gestural piece, though it has a monumental presence and the
interaction between clay and fire has created a very evocative surface. Between
the rich fire red hi-iro and areas of ash and bidoro, the pot is swept in a
variety of changing tones and effects.
Though very decidedly Iga, or possibly Ko-Iga, this vase shows the
influences of Bizen pottery, which is where Kojima served his early pottery apprenticeship.
I see this in a lot of his earlier works and occassionally, even now, some
elements of Bizen-yaki creeps into his pottery. I think at the end of the day,
when you are dedicated to producing medieval style works, there will always be
some general overlap between many of the ancient Roku-koyo and I think this pot
admirably displays the cross currents of the older, medieval wood fired
traditions.
"We
perceive and are affected by changes too subtle to be described." Henry
David Thoreau
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