Touching Stone Japanese pottery, ceramics, & sumi-e Gallery

Hiroyuki Wakimoto

Contemporary Bizen Ceramic Exhibition

April 6 - May 30, 2007

See more of this artist's work:
2002 show, 2003 show, 2004 show, 2005 show, 2006 show, 2007 show, 2009 show, 2010 show, 2012 show, 2016 show

Hiroyuki Wakimoto 脇本博之

For centuries, wood-fired pottery from the "six ancient kilns" in Japan (Tanba, Bizen, Echizen, Shigaraki, Tokoname, and Seto) helped cultivate a quiet aesthetic sensibility and appreciation for simple unadorned beauty. The pottery center of Bizen produced many exceptional ceramists including five Living National Treasures, more than any other historic pottery areas. This luminous heritage offers great inspirations for contemporary ceramists, but at the same time leaves an enormous legacy for them to live up to. Traditionally, Bizen pottery is made for use. Blessed with a good local clay that turns brilliant red after firing, historically Bizen ceramists emphasized firing effects yet adhered to functional conservative forms. It is a challenge for Bizen artists to innovate without risking disconnection from "Ko-Bizen" (old Bizen) tradition. Hiroyuki Wakimoto is a notable exception who successfully integrates creativity with the Bizen tradition.

Born in 1952 in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyushu, Hiroyuki Wakimoto received art training in textile design in Osaka Art College. In his senior year, he decided textile design was not his interest and left the college. While visiting a friend who was doing an apprenticeship in Bizen, Wakimoto found his true calling in Bizen-yaki. He began an apprenticeship under George Yamashita, an accomplished ceramist who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. Nine years later, Wakimoto established his own kiln and gradually built a reputation as one of the most distinctive artists in Bizen. With a great interest in forms and training in design, Wakimoto creates some of the most interesting works in contemporary Japanese ceramics. His works are instantly recognized by bold, sophisticated forms with clean lines and beautiful fire markings.

What sets Wakimoto apart from many of his peers is his ability to produce an astounding body of innovative work without abandoning the cultural connection of this art form. For example, one of Wakimoto’s original forms is a three-legged sake bottle, which traces its conceptual origin to ancient Chinese wine-servers. The design is a seamless fusion of the old and new. In another example, incense burners take the forms of stylized figurines that may be inspired by ancient Japanese Haniwa pottery; yet these forms also evoke Isamu Noguchi’s whimsical ceramic sculpture. Even his abstract works are not without a cultural basis. Some of his composite forms, for example, apparently receive their cues from ancient walls in Japan. Those pieces are sculpted from chunks of clay rather than thrown on a wheel. The technique, called kurinuki, offers great freedom for creating unique shapes. Many of these are composite works composed of multiple components. To produce contrasting colors, Wakimoto fires the separate components in different parts of the kiln. Wakimoto recalled the evolution of his style, "In the beginning, I cared too much about making my work unique, my hands struggled with the clay. Then one day, I set my hands free to express my feelings without thinking too hard. From that day, my work became spontaneous."

The Achilles heel of many innovative wood-fire ceramists is in their firing techniques. In this respect, Wakimoto’s mastery of the firing process is legendary. He does a 14-days firing once a year in a three-chambered noborigama (climbing kiln) that holds up to a thousand pieces, representing his entire year’s work. This working style requires extraordinary confidence and impeccable technical expertise. He keeps detailed records of every firing, including data on temperature and the exact position of every piece in the kiln. Wakimoto's meticulous approach and technical excellence allow him to carry his artistic visions to fruition.

Wakimoto has won many prestigious awards in his career, including the Grand Prize of Yakishime Exhibition. In 2002, his work was first exhibited in America in Touching Stone Gallery. The show was enthusiastically received. Two years later, he was invited by the New Mexico Museum of International Folk Art to show at the International Folk Art Market. During that visit, Wakimoto toured several ancient Anasazi Indian ruins in the area. That visit further broadened his interest in other ancient cultures. The ensuing years saw interesting new works that might have been inspired by Anasazi Indian architecture. Wakimoto’s untiring quest for new ideas is possibly the most important attribute of a creative artist. Indeed, this quality may ultimately distinguish art itself from craft.

Click on images to view selected pieces

Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com, see Inquiry/Order


Vase Form No. 24 wood-fired ceramic 19"h x 14" x 8" (3 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 5 wood-fired ceramic 13"h x 13" x 5.5" (3 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 1 wood-fired ceramic 11"h x 9" x 7" (2 views) Sold	Vase Form No. 2 wood-fired ceramic 13.5"h x 7" x 6.5" (2 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 3 wood-fired ceramic 11"h x 10" x 10" (2 views) Sold	Vase Form No. 4 wood-fired ceramic & wood 11"h x 7" x 7" (2 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 6 wood-fired ceramic 11.5"h x 5.5" x 5.5" (2 views) Sold	Vase Form No. 7 wood-fired ceramic 12"h x 9.5" x 6" (2 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 8 wood-fired ceramic 9.5"h x 8.5" x 5" (2 views) Sold	Vase Form No. 9 wood-fired ceramic 8"h x 6.5" x 4.5" (2 views) Sold

Vase Form w/ Cover No. 10 wood-fired ceramic 7.5"h x 7.5" x 6" (2 views) Not available	Vase Form w/ Cover No. 11 wood-fired ceramic 6"h x 6.6" x 5" (2 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 20 wood-fired ceramic 8"h x 5" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold	Vase Form No. 13 wood-fired ceramic 9.5"h x 4.5" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold

Incense Burner No. 16 wood-fired ceramic 6.5"h x 3.5" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold	Incense Burner No. 21 wood-fired ceramic 7.5"h x 5.5" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold

Form No. 15 wood-fired ceramic 4.5"h x 8" x 7.5" (3 views) Sold

Vase Form No. 12 wood-fired ceramic 6"h x 12" x 5.5" (2 views) Sold	Vase Form No. 14 wood-fired ceramic 4.5"h x 10" x 5" (2 views) Sold

Hanging Vase Form No. 22 wood-fired ceramic 12"h x 7" x 2" (2 views) Sold	Hanging Vase Form No. 23 wood-fired ceramic 9"h x 3.5" x 1.5" (2 views) Sold

Bowl Form No. 26 wood-fired ceramic 8.5"h x 10.5" x 10.5" (2 views) Sold

Exhibitions & Awards 1952 Born in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu 1975 Osaka Art College 1981 Apprenticeship under Bizen ceramist Joji Yamashita 1990 Established own kiln in Bizen Honorable Mention, 52nd Itt-sui Kai Ten 1991 8th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 2nd Biennial Ceramic Exhibition 38th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition 1st Yaki-shime Ten Honorable Mention, 53rd Itt-sui Kai Ten 1992 9th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 30th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 39th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition 54th Itt-sui Kai Ten 1993 Honorable Mention, 3rd Biennial Ceramic Exhibition 31st Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 36th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition, China Branch Asahi Contemporary Arts & Crafts Invitational Exhibition 1994 11th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum Grand Prize, 2nd Yaki Shime Juried Show Chairman’s Award, Japan Arts & Crafts Exhibition, Chu-goku Chapter 1995 12th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 13th Japan Ceramics Exhibition 42th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition 1996 13th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 34th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 1997 14th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 35th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 44th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition Nominated as a permanent member of Japan Arts & Crafts Association 1998 15th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 1999 37th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 2000 3 - 4 shows every year in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe 2002 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2003 Kuroda Toen Gallery, Tokyo Tenmaya, Takamatsu Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2004 Kuroda Toen Gallery, Tokyo Tenmaya, Fukuoka Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Invited artist, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market 2004, USA 2005 Kuroda Toen Gallery, Tokyo Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2006 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Komats Yamato, Ishikawa Prefecture 2007 Gallery Aoyama, Tokyo Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Publication 2002 Omen - An article on Hiroyuki Wakimoto's work, by Tim Wong & Akko Hirano. In: Ceramics: Art & Perception, no. 48, pp. 97 - 99. Reference 1. Omen. Ceramics: Art & Perception, no. 48, pp. 97 - 99. 2002.

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