We are very pleased to announce we will be exhibiting our good friend’s 陶芸い or ceramic art this coming month.
His family, one of the most popular group of Tobe-Yaki ceramicists, sells ceramics and ceramic art in both Ehime and throughout Japan. Ryusen-Gama (his family’s workshop) is famous for it’s beautifully pale-green blue color lacquer. Asato takes a much more experimental and conceptual approach to making ceramics. Using thick lines that resemble waves his cup ware really shapes to the hand.
Asato Ikeda
Born in 1979 in Ehime prefecture, Asato graduated from the ceramic department of Saga Prefectural Arita Technical Highschool.
Since 1998, he started to make ceramics at Ryusen-gama.
2006-2008, he went to Alexandria, Egypt as a volunteer staff of JICA(Japan International Cooperation Agency), to teach handicapped children about Japanese ceramics. He ended up learning as much from them, as they did from him.
In 2010-2012, he turned his eyes to Tokyo and started to work there.
About Ryusen-gama
It has been in operation for 45 years. “Ryuho-gama”, which was started by Ikeda Kuniyoshi was rebranded as “Ryusen-gama” in 1977.
“Ryusen” was named by Shigemitsu Tsuji who was former president of Nikenchaya Nakamurarou, an old tea house located by Yasaka shrine in Kyoto. Their theme is pure water stream and natural plants/flower, and they make their ceramics to be used by people freely and generously. For Asato personally, though he respects the history of his family’s tradition, he is trying to be more dynamic and fluid with his designs.
His thought of his current exhibition at Sen:
He would like to introduce his art to more people from outside of both Ehime and Japan. He would like this exhibition to be a sort of dialogue between himself and the viewers; he believes that this will have a positive influence on his art.