Guardian Garden (Tokyo, Japan)
11.22 – 12.24. 2016
Kumamoto, on Kyushu island in southwest Japan, is a prefecture blessed with rich natural resources, and the Amakusa region in particular yields a special stone that is used in making pottery and porcelain of great beauty. Use of Amakusa’s pottery stone, known for its high purity and clarity, traces back to the 17th century, and over time it has been widely adopted to produce pottery and porcelain works of superlative quality. This exhibition will show porcelain cups in some 170 different designs, fabricated using Amakusa pottery stone and baked in kilns in the Arita-Hasami region of nearby Saga Prefecture. All cups will be available for purchase, with the proceeds to be donated to support recovery from the earthquakes that devastated the Kumamoto region in April 2016.
The cups on display have been designed by leading creative artists on a voluntary, noncommercial basis. Every cup has been individually and meticulously handcrafted and baked in kilns in the Arita-Hasami area, which is especially known for its traditional porcelain skills developed over the centuries. Kihara, Incorporated, a local trading company based in Arita for half a century, has served in an intermediary role enabling the participating designers’ artistic creations to be realized beautifully by Kyushu’s supreme porcelain artisans.
By purchasing a cup of exquisite design and unsurpassed craftsmanship, every buyer will not only introduce a work of traditional art into his or her everyday life; they will also express their solidarity with the aims of this charity project: to support the full recovery of the Kumamoto region, its people and its industries, as quickly as possible. We eagerly look forward to the participation of many visitors.
Material: porcelain (safe to use in microwave ovens and dishwashers)
Size: 85 mm (diameter) x 80 mm (height)
熊本県は豊かな天然資源に恵まれており、県西にある天草地方では陶磁器の原料である天草陶石が採掘されます。
その歴史は長く17 世紀頃から磁器に使用されはじめ、純度が高く濁りがないことを特徴とする高品質な陶石として、広く使用されてきました。
本展では、その熊本県産の天草陶石を使用して有田・波佐見の窯元とつくった、約 170 種類の多様なデザインのカップを展示・販売します。
販売収益金は 2016 年 4 月に発生した熊本地震の復興支援のために寄付をします。
カップは、被災地の一日も早い復興を願い、第一線で活躍するクリエイターから新進気鋭のアーティストまで総勢約 170 人がボランティアでデザイン。長い歴史の中で培われた伝統技術を受け継ぐ有田・波佐見の窯元が、ひとつひとつ手作業でカップを製作しました。その職人の思いを守りながら、今回橋渡しをしたのは、半世紀に渡り有田に根付く焼き物の産地商社キハラ。それぞれが持つクリエイティブな力をつなぎ、熊本の未来を応援します。
真っ白な磁器に藍色が映えるカップを購入することで、誰でも、デザインを日常に取り入れ、伝統技術に触れながら、そこに込められた思いとともに、チャリティーに参加することができるプロジェクトです。
