A life of Joyous Flame - The Extraordinary Ceramics of Reiko Kakiuchi-Cohen  コーエン冷子

The remarkable pottery by Reiko Kakiuchi-Cohen (b.1947) began its life 30 years ago through a chance encounter in Japan. In 1976, Reiko Kakiuchi was working for the City of Kyoto. One day, she brought some strawberries to a new neighbor, a young American named Ben Cohen. Ben made some strawberry crepes and invited her to share them. She learned that he was a painter, and had a sister in America who was an artist. That innocuous encounter started something of extraordinary beauty.

Reiko and Ben married in 1978. During their honeymoon, they traveled to Miyazaki-mura in Fukui Prefecture, birth place of Echizen-yaki and one of the six oldest pottery centers in Japan. Ben was so inspired by the quiet beauty of Echizen-yaki that he stayed to study pottery under master Shichizaemon Kitano. After three years of apprenticeship, the couple rented an old house surrounded by towering cedars in the tiny village Kadanji (Temple of Mosquito Valley). Ben converted an old oil-kiln for wood-firing, and named their kiln "Joyous Flame" - a phonetic play of the Japanese words for "Cohen". While other potters preferred firing with pine, Ben used cedar which was cheaper but burned poorly. He adapted his firing techniques to the unusually fuel and created a unique style of pottery with distinct patina of red flashes, white washes, and streaks of lime green.

In the next seven or eight years, Ben showed throughout Japan and his work began to gain recognition. Then tragedy abruptly shattered the couple’s dream. In the summer of 1989, Ben was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. After separating briefly to visit their respective families, the couple returned to their beloved valley and devoted their remaining time together to keep their dream alive. By then, Ben had lost the use of his hands. Through oral instructions, he passed his knowledge and skills to Reiko, who had never worked with clay before. Their sheer determination and heroic efforts helped Reiko to realize her untapped talents.

In 1991, the couple held their first joint exhibition in Nagoya. The show was a huge success. Over a hundred pieces of their work were completely sold out. The following year, they held another joint exhibition at the prestigious Ginza Tachikichi in Tokyo. It was again a sold-out. One month after that show opened, Ben passed away.

After Ben’s death, Reiko stayed with their two young sons in their house in Kadanji overlooking a rice field across from Ben’s grave. Determined to continue the legacy started by Ben, she worked tirelessly to create her distinctive style that blended femininity, strength, Eastern and Western aesthetics. While keeping many of the forms originated by Ben, she concentrated on refining her wood-firing skills to produce stunning works that earned her wide admiration.

In 2000, Reiko launched her American debut with a show at Touching Stone Gallery in Santa Fe. The show was enthusiastically received. Reiko returned in 2002 as an invitee for the Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Masterwork Series hosted by the Touching Stone Gallery. Her current show, A Life of Joyous Flame, features new works that epitomize her extraordinary artistry and mastery of the wood fire, including several unique iron-and-ceramic pieces. The show is a quiet testimony of the courage, love, determination, and grace of this remarkable artist. It is also a personal triumph for Ben, for the fruit of his life-long collaboration with Reiko is now shown in the homeland of Ben's beloved sister, American artist Judy Chicago.

The Joyous Flame will live on.