Tsujimura Kai

Tsujimura is prolific. The work of the ceramist is subject to the whims of clay, fire, and the weather. It is by practicing daily, Tsujimura says, that he can create works with the features and crackle that he desires. Throughout the grounds of Tsujimura’s workshop, where he established his kiln in 2000, vessels of high-fired clay blend into the natural surroundings. Tsujimura explains that they aren’t vulnerable to the weather. For the exhibition, he is displaying Shigaraki jars, one of his most common subjects. Tsujimura says he includes the jars in every firing as a litmus for the temperature and progression of the firing. The installation recreates the feel of Tsujimura’s workshop by displaying scores of large Shigaraki jars. Each jar has unique features characterized by warm, earthen tones that evoke the powerful flames that fired them.

プロフィール

b. 1976 in Nara Prefecture. Tsujimura apprenticed under his father, ceramist Tsujimura Shiro, beginning in 1994. In 2000, he built a kiln in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, and became independent. Ever since, he has continued to exhibit widely. Tsujimura’s works are included in the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Miho Museum.

[Past work] Workshop View

[Past work] Workshop View

[Past work] Workshop View, Photo courtesy of Haku Marunouchi

[Past work] Workshop View

[Past work] Workshop View, Photo courtesy of Haku Marunouchi