INTO THE FUTURE

In this chawan which I refer to as the sekai isshu or “world traveler”*, Takauchi Shugo has orchestrated his unique  and profound style of dialogue between two foundationally Japanese ceramic traditions; the playful and innovative eccentricity of Mino’s Oribe and the utilitarian honesty of Mashiko. Rather than merely relying on centuries of Momoyama-style aesthetics, Takauchi synthesizes these seemingly disparate styles into a singular, highly expressive vision that showcases his unique position in modern ceramics.    The silhouette of the bowl immediately establishes this regional convergence, it possesses the robust, thick-walled presence characteristic of Mashiko's folk-art heritage, trading the delicate lightness of traditional tea ware for a grounded, visceral structures ubiquitous thru out Mashiko. But upon closer inspection, the lip and walls are manipulated with a deliberate, undulating distortion, clearly a direct nod to the classic manipulated aesthetic Oribe is well known for. This chawan rises with a commanding, upright posture, its verticality asserting power before yielding to the organic, manipulated irregularities of the rim, all deliberate and confident.      

As you survey the surface and many of Takauchi’s pots, there is palpable drama in calculated chaos. Takeuchi relies on a rich, deep Oribe glaze that pools and crackles across the upper sections, displaying the deep, glass-like vitrification typical of Mino traditions. However, this fluid brilliance is violently interrupted by iron-rich slips and iron-underglaze brushwork that evoke the unpretentious, dark earthiness of Mashiko. Completing the canvas, the surface is further interrupted and animated by deep, gestural carvings and heavily textured scars near the base. These incised markings break up the glaze flow, creating stark contrasts between the glassy green pool, the matte unglazed clay body, and the iron-saturated dark bands. By injecting the bold, painterly asymmetry of Oribe into the dense material language of Mashiko, Takauchi creates a chawan that feels simultaneously ancient and radical acting as a testament to a potter who commands tradition by forcing its disparate elements into a brilliant, tense collision and that is clearly the sign of success, moving two distinct traditions one step further into the future.      

(* I refer to this chawan as the ‘world traveler’ as it originated in Japan, made its way to Europe, then the United States, back to Europe, well Finland to be specific before making its way back to the US again where it made several more pitstops before finding its way here. Though there are no steamer trunk stamps applied, it is fascinating seeing the circuitous journeys object can take before making it to the temporary forever homes, after all, we are all just momentary curators.)