Modern Japanese Craft

Statment - Hitoshi Morimoto

Bizen ware, which is the centre of my work, is one of Japan’s six traditional ancient kilns in the pottery region of Bizan.

Based on the natural environment and the routine of my daily life, I am exploring how Bizen ware as a traditional craft can be used from a sculptural perspective in modern living spaces.

Many of the works in this exhibition are inspired by Yayoi pottery and pottery from the surrounding eras.

Since they have roots that are directly connected to Bizen ware, I always get a new perspective from these works.

How to sublimate primitive things into something modern is a theme that runs through my work.

Statement - Shiho Hayashi

Japan has beautiful nature in every season, but it is also a country that is prone to disasters.

I experienced the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake myself, and at the beginning of the year there was the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

Even when people lose much, they must still live with nature.

Amid repeated destruction, life circulates and leaves its traces.

Forms woven by swaying curves and lustrous textures are born from the act and thought of tracing, which connects nature and people, I believe.

I think of prompts like "following, tracing, reflection, mark making” and use stones as references for shapes and textures. In this way the pieces become a representation of the various traces of time in nature as part of its ongoing cycle.

In this exhibition, I will also be exhibiting my new series ‘vestige', a reconstruction of the three-dimensional works I have been creating in recent years.

Hitoshi Morimoto

Born in Bizen, one of the most famous pottery towns in Japan and to a family whose business is in Bizen pottery, Morimoto has clay in his blood.

One of the characteristics of Bizen pottery is the local Inbe clay which has a high iron content making it resistant to glaze and giving it its signature finish. Morimoto sources the clay himself and fires in “Noborigama”, a half buried climbing kiln which was built by his father half a century ago.

He does each step of the process himself which takes skill and time. His choice of material and technique connects him to his roots and keeps the traditions of his community alive. In many ways his pieces are imbued with personal and local traditions.
Although Morimoto has strong roots in Bizen, he believes that he has two roots in his process; Bizen and Mino.

The care and joy he brings to his pottery, he also brings to his everyday life. Waking early to pick a flower from the garden to put in a vase, watching shadows over the course of a day, enjoying tea as he observes the change of seasons or the sounds of nature.

Morimoto’s works are recognised worldwide, his work can be seen in NYC, Guild museum and Public Record is the only store to carry his work in the Southern Hemisphere. We hope by viewing and holding his pieces you can feel the reflection of his personal narrative and connection to place and community.

Shiho Hayashi

Hayashi’s new collection juxtaposes soft gentle curves with defined outlines and form and feel as if they are referencing isolated parts of the body. Shiho’s father is a doctor and throughout her childhood, she remembers pouring through his medical dictionary and feels these experiences might be reflected in the shapes of this latest body of work.

Shiho has a vast depth of knowledge around different techniques and is attracted to bold organic shapes that can be found in nature. She explores this by experimenting freely with elegant form and tactile texture - always drawn to curves, never a hard corner.

Part of her process for developing her work is that she often makes pieces in isolation, and then joins multiple pieces together to build a final shape, rather than deciding on the final shape at the start. In this way she achieves more dynamic forms that exceed her imagination and provide more exciting outcomes.

She is greatly inspired by the work of Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi. His Akari lantern is world famous and even after its release in the 1950’s, it is still relevant and sought after today. Shiho is driven to pursue and create original work and hopes to one day create a legacy of work in the way that Noguchi has.

Each piece is truly unique and a one off. This is her third collection to show in NZ and these new pieces are fresh and different from previous collections. We hope our audience will enjoy tracing her new vision and comparing it with her past work. This is a fantastic opportunity to see this exciting artist's work in person and be a part of her artistic journey.