Tanba pottery show: Kiyoharu Ichino

Living Tradition of Japanese Pottery March 10 - April 29, 2006
See more of this artist's work: 2002 show, 2006 show, 2008 show, 2010 show
Kiyoharu Ichino Kiyoharu Ichino was born in 1957 in Tachikui into an extended family steeped in pottery-making tradition. He learned all aspects of Tanba* pottery since childhood. When he was twenty, he moved to Seto to study pottery under a master of Akatsu-yaki. Upon returning to Tachikui, he launched his career with the Tanba Group Kiln. In 1983, he established his own kiln and began showing in galleries all over Japan. His works have been selected repeatedly for the prestigious juried Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition sponsored by the Japan Crafts Association. In 1995, he was nominated to be a permanent member of The Japan Crafts Association, an honor bestowed to the most experienced and talented artists. Traditional Tanba pottery is fired unglazed at very high temperature in large wood-fueled kilns. Ichino uses both an anagama (hole kiln) and a noborigama (climbing kiln), burning almost a thousand bundles of wood over several days to bring out the unique personalities of Tanba clay, which is renowned for its rich texture and deep purplish brown colors. Many of his pieces show faint silvery fire-marks like swirling mists left by the wood fire. His pieces appear to be integral parts of the clay rather than separate objects made from it. His works range from ancient-looking traditional vases to contemporary sculptural forms, testaments of the remarkable breadth and depth of the artist. Some pieces bear his trademark "wounds", rough edges deliberately left on finely sculpted surfaces, unmasking the clay body. "As in life, true beauty often lies deep beneath the surface, shining through only when one looks past superficial imperfections." This exhibition also includes two unusual pieces with an akadobe-yu (red clay glaze) finish. This beautiful style was popular during the early Edo period (1615-1866), but the method to create it was lost for centuries until it was rediscovered recently in 2001. Tadashi Nishibata, another Tanba ceramist to be featured in this Living Tradition of Japanese Pottery Series, is renowned for his contribution in reviving this style. *Tanba is a phonetic translation of two Japanese characters: 丹 'Tan' (meaning red) and 波 'Ba' (meaning waves). Tanba - Land of Red Waves - got its name from a type of red rice grown in ancient time which turned the fields into seas of red around harvest times. The name is often corrupted as Tamba.
Click on images to view selected pieces Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com, see Inquiry/Order
Ceramic bowl "Gold Rust" 16"x15.5"x10.5"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic vase "Soul Mountain" 12"x4"x13.5"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic vase #14 8"x6.5"x14"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic bowl "Purple Night" 13"x13"x8.5"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic vase #8 4"x4"x11"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic vase #9 4.5"x4.5"x11.5"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic bowl #4 8"x8"x6"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic vase #3 15.5"x3.5"x4.5"H Sold
Ceramic vase "Flame of Tradition" 7.5"x7.5"x9.75"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic vase "Pagoda" 8"x8"x8"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic vase "Spirit of Old Tanba #6" 5"x5"x10"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic vase "Spirit of Old Tanba #21" 9"x7.5"x7.5"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic vase #19 "Emergence" 6"x6"x5"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic box #24 6"x3.5"x4"H Sold
Ceramic "basket" vase #5 8"x7"x9"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic "pail" vase #28 6.5"x6.5"x6"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic vase #16 w/ Akadobe-yu glaze 9"x8"x10"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic vase #29 w/ Akadobe-yu glaze 9.5"x9"x11"H (2 views) Sold
Ceramic hanging vase #32 2.75"x2.75"x15"H (2 views) Sold	Ceramic incense box #41 3"x2.5"x3"H (2 views) Sold
Mentori Guinomi #37 2.5"Hx2"x2" Sold Mentori Tokkuri #35 6"Hx3"x3" Sold	Guinomi #39 2"Hx3"x3" Sold Tokkuri #36 6"Hx3"x3" Sold
Shows and Awards 1984 Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Crafts Exhibition 1986 All Kansai Art Exhibition 1987 Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Crafts Exhibition 1989 Cha-no-yu Show in the Tanabe Museum 1990 Japan Crafts Association Kinki Branch Exhibition 1991 Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Crafts Exhibition 1992 Hyogo Prefectural Arts and Crafts Exhibition Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo show, Gallery Osaka Hanshin, Osaka 1993 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Recognition Award, Saga Daikakuji Flower and Ceramics Exhibition 1994 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition 1995 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Nominated as permanent member of The Japan Crafts Association 1996 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition 1997 Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition 1998 Solo show, Gallery Tokyu, Tokyo Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo show, Gallery Kobe Daimaru, Kobe 1999 Solo show, Gallery Osaka Daimaru, Osaka Solo show, Gallery Shun, Tokyo 2000 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Two Visions in Contemporary Tanba Pottery, Touching Stone Gallery, New Mexico, USA 2001 Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo show, Gallery Osaka Daimaru, Osaka Gallery Shun, Tokyo 2002 Solo show Edge of Purple, Touching Stone Gallery, New Mexico, USA 2003 Solo show Crossing Purple, Touching Stone Gallery, New Mexico, USA 2004 Solo show, Gallery Tobu, Tokyo 2005 Evolving Traditions, Touching Stone Gallery, New Mexico, USA 2006 Solo show, Flame of Tradition, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

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