TEXTURAL NARRATIVE

When I first saw (and handled) this chawan I was struck by the collision of the perpetually wet surface and the non-stop textural narrative that surrounds the pot reminding me of some modern style emakimono in three dimensions and composed of clay instead of ink on silk or paper. Wood fired in Shigaraki Valley by Kengo Saeki, this chawan was pulled out of the violence of the kiln and allowed to cool quickly, hikidashi style freezing the ash surface as it was just moments before in the kiln. Running from emerald to olive greens, the texture shimmers where varying depths of the ash present very different colorations adding movement and a visceral articulation to the form. The bowl sits on a modest, sturdy kodai and sweeps up to the bowl form creating a rather appealing lift and shadow line that show that Kengo Saeki was thinking in terms of various dimensions during the creation process. Beyond the sheer visual pleasure of the ceramic topography it is perhaps the tactile nature of this bowl that makes it rather enjoyable to hold and mull over in the hand drawing the attention here and there grabbing one's attention to nuances, marks and other surface variations they may go unnoticed if not for all that wonderful wet texture.