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Touching Stone Gallery  Santa Fe  New Mexico USA

www.touchingstone.com  Email: director@touchingstone.com

 

Tadashi Nishihata
Living Tradition in Japanese Pottery
 June 30 - August 2, 2006

See more of this artist's work in:

Nishihata's 2003 show  2004 show  2006 show  2008 show  2010 show  2013 show

Tadashi Nishihata  西端正

Nestled in a beautiful valley along the Shitodani River that runs through towering mountains northwest of Kyoto is the picturesque village Tachikui, historically known as Tanba* 丹波, one of the six oldest pottery centers in Japan. The rich ferrous soil in this area has supported generations of farmers and artisans since the Kamakura period (1180 - 1230). Tanba pottery is fired traditionally with wood. The oldest working noborigama (climbing kilns) in Japan are still used here. This serene setting is home of some of the world’s most beautiful ceramics.

Tadashi Nishihata (b. 1948) comes from a family steeped in Tanba pottery traditions. His great great great grandfather Ichifusa was a master potter known for his figurative sake bottles in the late Edo period (early 19th century). Nishihata’s father, Sueharu (b. 1926), is a respected ceramist who has exhibited extensively. The long historic and familial background provides tremendous depth for Nishihata’s life-long pursuit in Tanba pottery.

Among Nishihata’s many achievements, his most significant contribution to Tanba pottery is the re-establishment of an ancient Tanba finish, called Akadobe-yu (red clay glaze). In the early Edo period (1603 – 1867), some Tanba potters applied a certain type of glaze onto their pots to make them water-tight. Their glazed pottery turned a distinctive deep reddish color after firing. Inexplicably, pottery with this beautiful color was made for only 20 to 30 years, after which the method for creating it was lost. For almost four centuries, numerous potters have tried to reproduce this ancient finish without success. Tadashi Nishihata experimented for more than 30 years using different clay and firing techniques in an attempt to re-create the Akadobe-yu finish. In 2001, he successfully reproduced the deep chestnut-red Akadobe-yu finish. Nishihata gained wide recognition not only for this accomplishment, but also for his generosity in sharing his hard-earned knowledge with his peers.

Nishihata's other accomplishments include his unique Hai-yu finish, a turquoise-colored glaze made from ashes of the rice plant and different types of wood. Much of his work is inspired by nature. Every winter, wind from the Sea of Japan brings snow to the mountains around Tanba, transforming the valley into a wonderland of frosted rocks and forests. In the spring, melting snow turns rivers and streams emerald, new leaves decorate the drab earth with brilliant green. Nishihata captures the changing seasons using wood fire with as much drama and nuance as a painter using colors. The distinctive surface texture on many of his works is attributed to a unique clay that he discovered some years ago while hiking in a remote mountain near his home.

In 1994, Nishihata won the Grand Prize of the Chanoyu Zokei Ten (Modern Tea Forms) Exhibition sponsored by the Tanabe Museum of Art. In 2003, Nishihata was selected along with three other Japanese tea bowl masters to show in America at Touching Stone Gallery. A year later, Nishihata followed with a successful solo exhibition in the same gallery. In 2005, Nishihata won the coveted Grand Prize of the Chanoyu Zokei Ten Exhibition for a second time. And in 2006, he repeated this feat by winning the same Prize for the third time, thus becoming the only artist who has ever been bestowed with this prestigious award in two consecutive years.

This exhibition at Touching Stone Gallery is a tribute to this exceptional artist. The exhibition includes outstanding examples of Nishihata’s Akadobe-yu, Hai-yu, as well as his traditional unglazed fire-changed ceramics. In addition to this exhibition, Nishihata's work has been selected for the 2006 Santa Fe International Folk Art Market sponsored by the Museum of International Folk Art of New Mexico.

* Tan 丹(red)-波(wave) got its name from a kind of red rice grown in ancient time which turned the area into a sea of red. The name is often written as Tamba.  Tanba is used here to preserve the original meaning and pronunciation, following revised Hepburn romanization. 

Click on images to view selected pieces

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


Nishihata_Vase1c.jpg (154078 bytes)Nishihata_Vase1d.jpg (111572 bytes)Nishihata_Vase1a.jpg (127872 bytes)
Mentori Bowl No. 1 w/ Akadobe-yu finish
wood-fired ceramic   12"h x 16"w x 11"d (3 views) 
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Mentori Vase No. 2 w/ Akadobe-yu finish  
 wood-fired ceramic   14"h x 13.5"w x 13.5"d  (3 views)  
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Vase No. 3 w/ Akadobe-yu finish
 wood-fired ceramic   15"h x 7"w x 7.5"d  (3 views)  
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Fire-changed Vase No. 4  
wood-fired ceramic   13.5"h x 7.5"w x 7.5"d  (2 views)
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Vase No. 5 w/ Akadobe-yu finish  
wood-fired ceramic   13.5"h x 7"w x 7"d  (2 views)
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Fire-changed Incense Burner No. 6  
wood-fired ceramic   8"h x 3.5"w x 3.5"d  (2 views)
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Fire-changed Incense Burner No. 7  
wood-fired ceramic   8"h x 5"w x 5"d  (2 views)
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Fire-changed Incense Burner No. 8  
wood-fired ceramic   6"h x 4"w x 4"d  (2 views)  
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Fire-changed Jar No. 9  
wood-fired ceramic   6"h x 6" x 5"  (2 views)  
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Tokkuri No. 10 w/ Natural ash glaze
wood-fired ceramic   6.5"h x 4"w x 4"d  (2 views)
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Tokkuri No. 11 w/ Natural ash glaze
wood-fired ceramic   5.5"h x 4.5"w x 4.5"d  (2 views)
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Nishihata_Tokkuri12a.jpg (37783 bytes)Nishihata_Tokkuri12b.jpg (35481 bytes) Nishihata_HangingVase_13a.jpg (24615 bytes)Nishihata_HangingVase_13b.jpg (22418 bytes)
Tokkuri No. 12 w/  Akadobe-yu finish
wood-fired ceramic   5.5"h x 4.5"w x 4.5"d  (2 views)
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Fire-changed Hanging vase No. 13
wood-fired ceramic   10.5"h x 1.5"w x 1.5"d  (2 views)
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Vase No. 31 w/ Hai-yu finish
wood-fired ceramic   11"h x 5"w x 5"d  (2 views) 
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Fire-changed Vase No. 33
wood-fired ceramic   7.5"h x 6"w x 6"d  (2 views) 
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Fire-changed Vase No. 32 w/ Fine lines  
wood-fired ceramic   9"h x 13"w x 10"d  (2 views)
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Fire-changed Four-faced Vase No. 34
wood-fired ceramic   8.5"h x 8"w x 8"d  (3 views) 
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Tea Bowl No. 16A w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  4"h x 5"w x 4.5"d  (4 views) 
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Tea Bowl No. 17 w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  4"h x 4"w x 3.5"d  (4 views) 
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Tea Bowl No. 18 w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  4"h x 4.75"w x 4.5"d  (4 views) 
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Tea Bowl No. 19 w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  4"h x 5.5"w x 5.5"d  (4 views)
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Tea Bowl No. 20 w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  4"h x 4"w x 3.5"d  (4 views) 
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Tea Bowl No. 22 w/ Akadobe-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  3.5"h x 5"w x 4.5"d  (4 views) 
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Tea Bowl No. 23 w/ Akadobe-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  3.25"h x 4.75"w x 4.5"d  (4 views) 
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Fire-changed Tea Bowl No. 24   (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  3.5"h x 5"w x 5"d  (4 views)  
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Fire-changed Tea Bowl No. 25   (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  3.5"h x 4.5"w x 4.5"d  (4 views) 
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Nishihata_Guinomi_27a.jpg (26937 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_27b.jpg (34079 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_27c.jpg (27097 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_27d.jpg (40268 bytes) Nishihata_Guinomi_28a.jpg (38359 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_28b.jpg (34374 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_28c.jpg (33451 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_28d.jpg (35434 bytes)
Guinomi No. 27 w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  2"h x 2.5"w x 2.5"d  (4 views)
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Guinomi No. 28 w/ Hai-yu finish  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  3"h x 2.5"w x 2"d  (4 views)
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Nishihata_Guinomi_29a.jpg (38089 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_29b.jpg (31502 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_29c.jpg (30410 bytes)Nishihata_Guinomi_29d.jpg (40490 bytes) Nishihata_TeaCaddy_30a.jpg (69448 bytes)Nishihata_TeaCaddy_30b.jpg (64719 bytes)
Fire-changed Guinomi No. 29  (w/ wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  2.5"h x 2.5"w x 2.25"d  (4 views)
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Tea Caddy No. 30 w/ Akadobe-yu finish (w/ silk pouch & wooden box)
wood-fired ceramic  3.5"h x 2.5"w x 2.5"d  (2 views)
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Exhibitions & Awards

1948   Born in Tachikui, Japan

1969   Began career in ceramic

1976   Honorable Mention, Hyogo Prefecture Exhibition

1978   Selected for Japan Crafts Association, Kinki Exhibition

1986   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

1988   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Matsushita Prize, Japan Craft Association, Kinki Exhibition

1989   President Prize, Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Oikawa Memorial Prize, Handon Association

1990   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Honorable Mention, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten sponsored by Tanabe Museum of Art

1991   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Grand Prize, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten sponsored by Tanabe Museum of Art

1992   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Honorable Mention, Hyogo Prefecture Emerging Artists

           Japanese Ceramics Now Invitational Exhibition, Paris, France

1993   Excellence Award, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten

           Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

1994   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, Tokyo

1995   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

1996   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Solo  Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, Tokyo        

           Excellence Award, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten

1998  Solo  Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, Tokyo

1999   Honorable Mention, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten

2000   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

           Solo  Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, Tokyo

2001   Selected for Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition

2002   Solo  Exhibitions, Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, Tokyo

2003   Japanese Teabowl Masterworks Exhibition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

2004   Solo Exhibition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

2005   Grand Prize, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten sponsored by Tanabe Museum of Art

           Solo  Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Department Store Gallery, Tokyo

2006   Grand Prize, Chanoyu no Zokei Ten sponsored by Tanabe Museum of Art

           Solo Exhibition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

           Selected artist, International Folk Art Market sponsored by Museum of International Folk Art, New Mexico