The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, in cooperation with Consulate – General of Japan in HCMC proudly present a travelling exhibition “Japanese Pottery: The Rising Generation from Traditional Japanese Kilns” from 18 November to 4 December, 2016 at Vietnam Fine Art Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi.

The ceramic arts flourish in Japan as in few other countries. Not only is this country home to an immense number of potters and ceramic artists, it also has a large population highly knowledgeable about and appreciative of pottery. Perhaps it is the distinct four seasons, the mild climate, and diverse terrain that have given Japanese a special affection for utensils made from earth or clay, a basic natural material. With this broad support base, Japanese pottery displays amazing variety. In addition to the commercial production of pottery-making for practical, daily use, individual artists pursue original work of tremendous variety. Some make mainly vessels for practical use, others combine creativity with use of traditional techniques and shapes; still others, unconcerned with practicality, seek new and experimental forms with clay. From among the works of these individual artists, we have selected for this exhibition examples of various kinds of vessels that we believe concretely illustrate the character of Japanese ceramics today, suggesting their quest for something really new. These works are mostly by artists of the up-and-coming generation in the world of Japanese pottery whose work has been drawing increasing attention in recent years.

“Japanese Pottery – The Rising Generation from Traditional Japanese Kilns” introduces the works of a total of 35 artists active in seven major traditional kiln sites in Japan. They differ in orientation, including some who carry on long traditions of pottery production while pursuing ever-richer standards in their craft and others who seek to create individualistic works exploring new forms. All are promising artists who will be leaders of the next generation in the ceramic arts in Japan. The theme of the exhibition this time focuses on “vessels,” endeavoring to show how ceramic artists understand the function of vessels, the better to understand the present situation, and the future, of Japanese pottery.

Free of admission   

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