Wakimoto Show

Hiroyuki Wakimoto *Witness in Time* September 2 - 30, 2005
See more of this artist's work: 2002 show, 2003 show, 2004 show, 2005 show, 2006 show, 2007 show, 2009 show, 2010 show, 2012 show, 2016 show
Hiroyuki Wakimoto 脇本博之 In 2004, Japanese ceramic artist Hiroyuki Wakimoto visited New Mexico on invitation by Touching Stone Gallery and the New Mexico Museum of International Folk Art to show at the gallery and at the Museum's First International Folk Art Market. Wakimoto has long been fascinated by ancient cultures. His earlier works were inspired by ancient Chinese bronze and prehistoric Japanese Jomon pottery (see Wakimoto's 2002 show). During his stay in New Mexico, he took the opportunity to visit some of the ancient ruins built by the native American Anasazi culture. Upon returning to Japan, he embarked on an interesting project seemingly inspired by both ancient Japanese and Anasazi cultures. The current exhibition, entitled 'Witness in Time', shows some of Wakimoto's most innovative works to date. Many pieces in this show are composite forms of vases or incense burners. Wakimoto fired the separate components of each piece in different parts of the kiln to produce contrasting colors and textures. Most of the pieces were sculpted from chunks of clay rather than thrown on a wheel. The technique, called "kurinuki", offers great freedom for creating unique shapes. Reflecting on the evolution of his style, Wakimoto recalled, "In the beginning, I cared too much about making my work unique, my hands struggled with the clay. Then one day, I set my hands free to express my honest feelings without thinking too hard. From that day, I felt relaxed and my work became spontaneous". In the quiet setting of Touching Stone Gallery, Wakimoto's 'Witness in Time' show evokes images of mythical beings, silent witnesses of untold happenings and forgotten legends. Hanging vases on the walls look like worn stone-age tools or discarded arrowheads. Each piece is no longer just a pretty pottery vase, it has the power to transport the viewers across vast space and time, to a primordial world where human needs were the same, and there were little distinctions between the Jomon and Anasazi worlds.
Click on images to view selected pieces Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com

Witness in Time No.31 ceramic sculpture 9.5" x 6.5" x 4" (3 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.3 ceramic sculpture 9" x 4.5" x 4.5" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.5 ceramic sculpture 9" x 5" x 4.5" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.4 ceramic sculpture 10" x 4.5" x 4.5" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.6 ceramic sculpture 8" x 5" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.11 ceramic sculpture 7.5" x 5.5" x 3" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.12 ceramic sculpture 8" x 5" x 3" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.13 ceramic sculpture/incense-burner 8.5" x 5" x 4" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.15 ceramic sculpture/incense-burner 7" x 5" x 3.5" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.16 ceramic sculpture/incense-burner 7" x 5" x 4" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.17 ceramic sculpture/incense-burner 5.5" x 3.5" x 3" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.18 ceramic sculpture/incense-burner 4.75" x 3.5" x 3" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.21 ceramic sculpture 8" x 7" x 4" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.23 ceramic sculpture 7.5" x 5" x 4" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.30 ceramic sculpture 6.5" x 4.5" x 3" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.34 ceramic sculpture 6.5" x 4.5" x 2.5" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.36 ceramic sculpture 5.5" x 3.5" x 2.5" (2 views)

Witness in Time No.37 ceramic sculpture 5.5" x 3.5" x 2.5" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.39 ceramic sculpture 5.5" x 3.5" x 2.5" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.40 ceramic sculpture 5" x 3.5" x 2.5" (2 views) Sold	Witness in Time No.42 ceramic sculpture 5" x 3.5" x 2.5" (2 views) Sold

Witness in Time No.52 ceramic hanging vase 13.5" x 2.5" x 2.75" Sold	Witness in Time No.57 ceramic hanging vase 6.5" x 4" x 2.5" Sold

Witness in Time No.54 ceramic hanging vase 6.5" x 5.5" x 3" Sold	Witness in Time No.55 ceramic hanging vase 5.5" x 4.5" x 2.5" Sold
Exhibitions & Awards 1952 Born in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu 1975 Osaka Art College 1981 Apprenticeship under Bizen ceramist Joji Yamashita 1990 Established own kiln in Bizen Honorable Mention, 52nd Itt-sui Kai Ten 1991 8th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 2nd Biennial Ceramic Exhibition 38th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition 1st Yaki-shime Ten Honorable Mention, 53rd Itt-sui Kai Ten 1992 9th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 30th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 39th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition 54th Itt-sui Kai Ten 1993 Honorable Mention, 3rd Biennial Ceramic Exhibition 31st Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 36th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition, China Branch Asahi Contemporary Arts & Crafts Invitational Exhibition 1994 11th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum Grand Prize, 2nd Yaki Shime Juried Show Chairman’s Award, Japan Arts & Crafts Exhibition, Chu-goku Chapter 1995 12th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 13th Japan Ceramics Exhibition 42th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition 1996 13th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 34th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 1997 14th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 35th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 44th Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition Nominated as a permanent member of Japan Arts & Crafts Association 1998 15th Cha-no-yu no Zo-kei Ten, Tanabe Museum 1999 37th Asahi Ceramics Exhibition 2000 3 - 4 shows every year in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe 2002 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico 2003 Kuroda Toen Gallery, Tokyo Tenmaya, Takamatsu Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico 2004 Kuroda Toen Gallery, Tokyo Tenmaya, Fukuoka Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico Invited artist, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market 2004 2005 Kuroda Toen Gallery, Tokyo Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico Publications 2002 "Omen" - An article on Hiroyuki Wakimoto's work, by Tim Wong & Akko Hirano. In: Ceramics: Art & Perception, no. 48, pp. 97 - 99.

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