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Touching Stone Gallery Santa Fe New Mexico USA
www.touchingstone.com Email: director@touchingstone.com
Touching Stone Gallery Santa Fe New Mexico USA
www.touchingstone.com Email: director@touchingstone.com
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Keiichi Shimizu Tanba Modernism II April 5 - 27, 2013 Meet the artist April 5, 5-7 p.m. Read a review on this show See more of this artist's work: 2004 show, 2006 show, 2008 show, 2012 show, 2013 show |
 Image: Vase Form No.2 17" x 14.5" x 12"h |
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Keiichi Shimizu 清水圭一 : A new vision of Tanba pottery In the picturesque village Tachikui, the historic center of Tanba* pottery, pottery-making tradition dates back nearly a thousand years. Tanba pottery retains much of the traditional characters. It takes an extraordinary vision and courage to forge new ground for contemporary Tanba artists. The ground-breaking work of Keiichi Shimizu is a conspicuous standout.Born in 1962 in Tanba into a potter family spanning four generations, Shimizu was more interested in pushing boundary of the art than adhering to traditional styles. He went to Kyoto to study pottery at Kyoto City Vocational School. After returned to Tanba in 1984, he launched a very productive career in pursuit of his own artistic vision, producing some of the most innovative works in contemporary Japanese ceramics. In a career spanning almost three decades, Shimizu has won many awards. These include the Grand Prize of Hyogo Prefecture Art & Crafts Show, Modern Craft Award in Japan Modern Art & Crafts Show, and the Excellence Award in Tanabe Museum Cha-no-yu Show. Traditionally, most Tanba potters base their works on wheel-thrown vases. Shimizu has virtually created a new genre of contemporary Tanba pottery - one that is driven by his vision and requires entirely new approaches. He prefers to build original forms by hand or from slabs. His clay body is a special blend using clay he harvests from the mountains mixed with clay prepared by the Tanba Guild. A white clay indigenous to Tanba is used as a decorative slip. He uses both a gas kiln and a traditional wood-fire kiln for different effects. Sleek, minimalist forms are a distinctive hallmark of Shimizu’s work. The lines are clean and graceful, the surfaces taut and uncluttered. Curves are used sparingly and with purpose, to hold together the exquisite lines and introduce tension and visual interests to the stark geometry. Colors are kept soft and muted, to complement rather than compete with the beautiful shapes. The overall results are noble, elegant forms that belie great conceptual sophistication and meticulous attention to details, a refreshingly modern interpretation of the quiet aesthetic in old Tanba tradition. The current exhibition showcases the bold direction of this innovative artist destined to make a major and lasting impact on contemporary Tanba pottery. * Tanba is a phonetic translation of two Japanese characters: 丹 'Tan' (red) and 波 'Ba' (wave). Tanba, Land of Red Waves, got its name from a kind of red rice grown in ancient time which turned the fields into a sea of red. The name is often corrupted as Tamba. Tanba is used here to preserve the Japanese pronunciation and meaning, following revised Hepburn Romanization. |
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Click on images to view selected pieces. Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com, see Inquiry/Order |
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   Vase Form No.1 23.5"h x 7" x 5" (3 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.2 17" x 14.5" x 12"h (2 views) Sold |
   Vase Form No.3 16.5"h x 9" x 5" (3 views) Sold |
   Vase Form No.4 19"h x 6" x 5" (3 views) Sold |
   Vase Form No.5 15"h x 5.5" x 4" (3 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.6 12" x 6.5" x 8.5"h (2 views) Sold |
   Vase Form No.7 12.5"h x 7.5" x 4.5" (3 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.8 10" x 5" x 5.5"h (2 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.9 13" x 5.5" x 5"h (2 views) Sold |
   Vase Form No.10 13"h x 5" x 3" (3 views) Sold |
   Vase Form No.11 13"h x 4.5" x 3.5" (3 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.12 13.5" x 11" x 10h" (2 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.13 9" x 6" x 7h" (2 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.14 8.5" x 5" x 8.5"h (2 views) Sold |
  Vase Form No.15 7.5" x 5.5" x 7.5"h (2 views) Sold |
  Hanging Vase No.16 11"h x 3" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold |
  Hanging Vase No.17 11.5" x 4.5" x 3" (2 views) Sold |
  Hanging Vase No.18 7" x 4" x 4" (2 views) Sold |
  Triangle Bowl Form No.19 11" x 8" x 2" (2 views) Sold |
  Triangle Bowl Form No.20 11.5" x 7.5" x 2.5" (2 views) Sold |
 Above & below: Incense Box 21 (left) Sold; Incense Box 22 (right) Sold  |
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   Mr. Shimizu at the opening of Tanba Modernism II show in Touching Stone Gallery |
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Shows & Awards
1986 Hyogo Prefecture Art and Craft Show 1989 Governor’s Award, Hyogo Prefecture Art and Craft Show 1991 Japan Modern Art and Craft Show 1992 Solo show, Gallery Totosho, Osaka Japan Modern Art and Craft Show 1993 Kinki Division Award, Japan Modern Art and Craft Show Japan Craft Show 1994 Recognition Award, Saga Daikakuji Flower & Ceramics Show Asahi Craft Show Yaki-Shime-ten open competition NITTEN Show 1995 Solo show, Gallery Ogawa, Kyoto Kinki Division Award, Japan Modern Art and Craft Show Japan Craft Show NITTEN Show Director’s Award, Kyoto Chamber of Commerce Daikakuji Award, Daikakuji Flower and Ceramics Show 1996 Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe NITTEN Show Osaka Mayor’s Award, Osaka Craft Show 1997 Solo show, Gallery Osaka Mitsukoshi, Osaka NITTEN Show Recognition Award, Cha-no-yu Show, Tanabe Museum 1998 Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe Recognition Award, Cha-no-yu Show, Tanabe Museum 1999 Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe Japan Craft Show 2000 2-person show, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico 2001 Grand Prize for Hyogo Prefecture Art & Crafts Show 2002 Modern Craft Award, Japan Modern Art & Crafts Show 2004 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico Kobe Club, Kobe 2006 Solo show, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico 2007 Recognition Award, Kikuchi Biennial Solo show, Gallery Kintetsu, Yottkaichi Solo show, Gallery Daimaru, Tottori 2008 Solo show, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico Solo show, Gallery Kandori, Tokyo 2009 Recognition Award, Kikuchi Biennial Recognition Award, Cha-no-yu Show, Tanabe Museum Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe 2010 Solo show, Gallery Kandori, Tokyo Excellence Award, Cha-no-yu Show, Tanabe Museum Solo show, Watanabe Fine Art Gallery, Osaka 2011 Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe Recognition Award, Cha-no-yu Show, Tanabe Museum Recognition Award, Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition 2012 Solo show, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico 2013 Selected for 22nd Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition Solo show, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
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