The Ceramic Art of Bizen Earthen Elegance is on show until June 9, 2025 at Portland Japanese Garden (Oregon).
Quoting from event’s notes: “On loan from the Collection of David Sneider and Naomi Pollock, this exhibition celebrates contemporary ceramic art and vessels that preserve a time-honored collaboration of earth, fire, and the artist’s hand. Recognized as one of the Rokkoyō (六古窯) Six Ancient Kilns of Japan, Bizen is a ceramic center that has continued its unique form of pottery for over 900 years. Notable for their rustic, textured, and unglazed forms, the ceramics featured in Earthen Elegance reveal the depths of the Bizen pottery tradition. Today the town of Bizen hosts nearly 300 active kilns with artists continuing to use local materials and an ancient wood-firing process. Featuring work by many of Bizen’s leading potters including Jun Isezaki and Ryūichi Kakurezaki, the exhibition presents both functional vessels and innovative sculptural forms that expand the frontier of Bizen ware.”
Doing a little digging, I discovered that Bizen, a town of 32,000 souls in Okayama province is also known for its oysters, being home to Japan’s oldest public school, and hosting an island bird sanctuary.
Read more about Things to Do in Bizen
Of ceramic and oysters for Tokyo Thursdays #328
I wrote about a few books by Naomi Pollock here, my favorite is probably about Jutaku: Japanese Houses