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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
Yoshitaka Hasu Eminence July 1 - August 3, 2011 See more of this artist's works: 2007 show, 2008 show, 2009 show, 2011 show |
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"Yoshitaka Hasu’s toubako captures the soul and spirit
of his mentor, long after the dining hall fell silent in
Shiro Banura’s Shangri-La." |
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Yoshitaka Hasu
蓮 善隆 Hidden at the end of a winding road in the mountains outside the Japanese town of Iga stands a big thatch-roof mansion that was once a Shangri-La for famous artists and celebrities during the 1970s. The place was the brainchild of ceramic artist Shiro Banura (1941-2001). Banura was influenced by eminent artist-writer Rosanjin (1883-1959), who once said, “If clothes make the person, dishes make the food”. Likewise, Banura believed an artist must live in art in order to make art. He built the retreat complete with a large worshop, and invited many luminaries to stay, entertaining them with fine food presented on beautiful handmade utensils. Top artists like Matazo Kayama, Ikuo Hirayama, Ryohei Koiso were frequent guests. It was in this bustling time that a young artist named Yositaka Hasu sought apprenticeship with Banura. Yoshitaka Hasu (b. 1949) was educated as an engineer before meeting Banura. By all accounts, the apprenticeship was unorthodox. Hasu admired how his mentor integrated art into daily life, so he immersed himself in the creative energy and artistic visions the many guests brought to the retreat. However, instead of learning to make pottery, he spent most of his time cleaning the premises and preparing gourmet food for his mentor and guests. Only after finishing the chores could he work in the studio, largely on his own. This arrangement gave Hasu the inspiration and artistic freedom to develop a personal style unique among Banura’s apprentices and completely different from the fine Kyoto-style ceramic that his mentor was known for. |
 Main building of Shiro Banura's Shangri-La (ca. 1975) Photo courtesy of Yoshitaka Hasu |
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By the time Hasu finished his apprenticeship in 1979, the
Japan economic ‘bubble’ was about to burst, and Banura’s
Shangri-La was in decline. Hasu stayed in Iga and built his
own kiln. Iga is a historic pottery center with a
thousand-year pottery tradition. Its pottery is quite
similar to the Shigaraki ware produced in a neighboring
district, both sharing a distinctive glass-like natural ash
glaze and dramatic fire marks over rough pitted clay
surfaces. However, Iga pottery tends to be more robust.
During the Momoyama period (1573-1600), Iga was synonymous
with some of the most revered tea ceremony ware in Japan. In
recent time, however, fewer than several dozen active
potters remained, and even fewer pursued the craft beyond
utilitarian purposes. Hasu was attracted to the unpretentious beauty of wood-fired Iga pottery, but he needed more freedom in form. He began to experiment with modern forms and techniques using his engineering background. He collected clay from local areas, trying samples with varying malleability, iron contents, heat resistance, and interactions with wood fire. He selected the best clay and kept it under straw covers to age for several years before use. During his career, Hasu has produced some of the most exciting original work built upon the Iga tradition. He works like a sculptor. Using a technique called kurinuki, he carves out exterior forms and scoops out the interiors, paring away anything superfluous to distill out the strongest lines unique for each piece. His works are powerful, direct and dynamic. Another hallmark of Hasu’s work is the dramatic decorations created by combining beautiful natural ash glaze with black iron glaze, a process that requires sequential firing and intimate knowledge of the materials. Despite the stylistic difference, Hasu’s work is true to his mentor’s vision. One of Hasu's favorite forms - the toubako (ceramic box) - embodies the idea of living with art. Hasu has elevated the toubako to an art form, each sculpted into a unique work of art that serves a dual function as a serving container. Japanese enjoy art with all their senses. One fancy restaurant in the Ginza District in Tokyo is reputed to treat special customers with Hasu’s toubako. Imagine the drama of serving fine food in such a work of art, and the joy of opening the container to find more unexpected beauty within! Perhaps more than any other ceramic form, Hasu’s toubako captures the soul and spirit of his mentor, long after the dining hall fell silent in Banura’s Shangri-La. |
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Click on images to view selected pieces Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com, see Inquiry/Order
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Exhibitions 1949 Born in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture 1975 Started 4-years apprenticeship with Shiro Banura 1979 Established own kiln and studio in Iga 1982 First solo exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya Art Gallery, Yokohama 1983 Solo exhibition, Gallery Tenjin, Fukuoka 1984 Solo exhibition, Gallery Tenjin, Fukuoka 1986 Solo exhibition, Gallery Kuroda Touen, Tokyo 1987 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya 1988 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya Art Gallery, Yokohama Solo exhibition, Gallery Tenjin, Fukuoka Solo exhibition, Gallery Akiyama, Kurume 1989 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery Osaka 1990 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Kagura, Mie 1991 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery Solo exhibition, Fukuya Art Gallery, Hiroshima 1992 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya 1993 Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka 1994 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Gallery Hanamitsu, Osaka 1996 Solo exhibition, Tokyo Takashimaya Art Gallery, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya 1997 Solo exhibition, Gallery Tachikichi, Kyoto Solo exhibition, Gallery Blanche, Osaka 1998 Solo exhibition, Gallery Tachikichi, Osaka Solo exhibition, Gallery Shun, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Gallery Kochuraku, Kagoshima 1999 Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka Solo exhibition, Gallery Ayame, Shizuoka Solo exhibition, Gallery Yuuan, Nara Solo exhibition, Gallery Tenjin, Fukuoka 2000 Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Tousei, Kyoto Solo exhibition, Gallery Candide, Tokyo 2001 Solo exhibition, JR Nagoya Takashimaya Art Gallery, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Kochuraku, Kagoshima Solo exhibition, Gallery Aoyagi, Niigata 2002 Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Ayame, Shizuoka 2003 Solo exhibition, Gallery Yufuku, Tokyo Solo exhibition, Gallery Issouan, Okazaki 2004 Solo exhibition, JR Nagoya Takashimaya Art Gallery, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Junikagetsu, Fukuoka Solo exhibition, Gallery Tousei, Kyoto Solo exhibition, Gallery Nakanishi, Yokohama Solo exhibition, Gallery Kochuraku, Kagoshima 2005 Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Toukurou, Hyougo Solo exhibition, Gallery Touka, Fukuoka Solo exhibition, Seigendo, Sapporo 2006 Solo exhibition, Gallery Nono, Toyama Solo exhibition, Gallery Touan, Osaka Solo exhibition, Gallery Ayame, Shizuoka Solo exhibition, Gallery Tousei, Kyoto Solo exhibition, Gallery Teisokuan, Mie 2007 Solo exhibition, Gallery Kochuraku, Kagoshima Solo exhibition, Gallery Nono, Toyama Solo exhibition, Touching Sone Gallery, Santa Fe, USA Solo exhibition, JR Nagoya Takashimaya Art gallery, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Touka, Fukuoka Solo exhibition, Gallery Hana, Ehime 2008 Solo exhibition, Gallery Nono, Toyama Solo exhibition, Gallery Hanamitu, Osaka Solo exhibition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, USA Solo exhibition, Gallery Natatani, Kyoto Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka 2009 Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Nono, Toyama Solo exhibition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, USA Solo exhibition, Gallery Touka, Fukuoka Solo exhibition, Gallery Hana, Ehime Solo exhibition, Gallery Teisouann, Mie 2009 Solo exhibition, Gallery Nakatani, Kyoto 2010 Solo exhibition, Gallery Hana, Ehime Solo exhibition, Gallery Nono, Toyama Solo exhibition, JR Nagoya Takashimaya Art gallery, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Touan, Osaka 2011 Solo exhibition, Gallery Hanamitu, Osaka Solo exhibition, Gallery Nono, Toyama Solo exhibition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, USA Solo exhibition, Sun Gallery Sumie, Nagoya Solo exhibition, Gallery Touka, Fukuoka Solo exhibition, Osaka Takashimaya Art Gallery, Osaka |
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