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It would seem that the pottery of Oni-Shino exponent, Tsukigata Nahiko is not that well known in the West. As a potter who had several television specials, several books, numerous national exhibitions and catalogues regarding his work, in his homeland, some have called him the Picasso of Japan. Beyond his pottery, Tsukigata is well known for his sculpture, wood carvings, painting and calligraphy and for his prize (Grand Prix) winning oil paintings. His paintings were exhibited throughout Japan and abroad and there are also several books dedicated to his oils of a wide array of subject matters. 

Illustrated is a bold and colorful still life from the mid-80's with a wonderfully balanced composition pitting pot against flower blossoms rendered in quick swirls of bold color with thick impasto borders. The pot on the other hand is finished in a simple monochrome manner that allows the texture of the brushstrokes to accentuate the image. This is the trademark style of Tsukigata that allows the vivid, fluid movement to bring the subject matter to life in an abstract manner. Painting or pottery, the hand is immediately identifiable from this renaissance artist.