Ryotaro Kato

加藤亮太郎

Ceramic Artist • 1974 –

A ceramic artist based in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, Ryotaro Kato is the eighth generation of the “Kobeigama” Kiln family. He is deeply passionate about using “ana-gama” (literally, “cave”) kilns and produces mainly Mino tea ceramics in styles such as Shino, Setoguro and Oribe. He is also well versed in the tea ceremony and calligraphy, and conveys the beauty of Japan’s unique culture through his works. While building on tradition, he continues to actively refine his own sensibilities and take on the challenge of new projects.

BASED IN

Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture

WEB SITE

www.koubei-gama.co.jp

POINT OF VIEW

In each of the works fired in their ana-gama kiln, we can see the experience and intelligence of this stylish artist and his reverence for the ultimate pottery jointly created by nature and man. Ryotaro Kato’s creative activities expand a field which seems to embody the free spirit of Mino-Momoyama pottery born 400 years ago.

CRAFT ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

1974: Born the eldest son of Kobei Kato, the 7th generation head of the Kobeigama Kiln in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture
1999: Completed graduate studies in ceramics at Kyoto City University of Arts Department of Crafts
2000: Entered the family business, Kobeigama Kiln
2012: Solo Exhibition at Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
2014: Exhibited at the Ninth Annual Paramita Ceramics Award Exhibition at Paramita Museum
2016: Kobeigama Kiln History Exhibition at the Furukawa Museum of Art
: Exhibited at the PANK Kogei (Rakusuitei Museum of Art, Ibaraki Prefecture Museum of Ceramic Art)
2018: Milan Salone CASA GIFU3 (Italy)
: Created a Nara Sansai Tenmoku tea bowl for use in a tea offering by tea master So-oku Sen at the Buddhist service celebrating the completion of the Chukindo Hall at Kofukuji Temple
2019: Solo Exhibition + Tea Party at Goldmark Gallery (UK)
: Kobeigama Kiln History Exhibition at the Mino Ceramics Museum

Related contents

INSIGHTS

The Publication of “Discover, Acquire, Enjoy – The Appreciation of Sake Ware”: An Additional Issue of the Quarterly Journal “Honoho Geijutsu” or “The Art of Fire”

KOGEI Topics VOL.1

Discover, Acquire, Enjoy – The Appreciation of Sake Ware has been published on 1st April 2022. It is a special issue of the quarterly journal Honoho Geijutsu or The Art of Fire. The journal was first published in 1982 and mainly introduces contemporary Japanese ceramic art culture. This latest issue presents modern sake ware made by various ceramic artists along with a few interesting articl...

KOGEI STANDARD Apr 14, 2022

RESOURCE

Seto-guro
- Generic term
- Technique
A type of Mino ware first created in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603). Jet-black pottery produced using the “Hikidashi” (meaning to withdraw or pull out) technique, in which iron-based glaze is applied and then removed from the kiln during firing and allowed to cool rapidly. Also known as “Hikidashi-guro”.
Oribe
- Generic term
- Technique
A type of Mino ware first created during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603). It is thought to have reflected the taste of Oribe Furuta, a celebrated master of the Japanese tea ceremony, and is characterized by novel shapes and patterns. It can be classified into various types depending on the glaze and technique, including the copper-green glazed So-Oribe and Ao-Oribe, as well as Aka-Oribe, Kuro-Oribe, Yahichida-Oribe, and Narumi-Oribe.
Shino
- Generic term
- Technique
A type of Mino ware which first appeared in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1600), as well as a general term for ceramics in which a white Shino glaze (based on feldspar) is applied to the “Mogusa-tsuchi” clay. There are several types of Shino ware, including Muji-Shino (plain), E-Shino (picture), Nezumi-Shino (gray) and Beni-Shino (crimson).
Mino ware
- Generic term
A general term for ceramics fired in the Tono region of Gifu Prefecture. A wide variety of types exist, with four major representative styles – Ki-Seto, Seto-guro, Shino, and Oribe – together called Mino-Momoyama ware. As time went on, the production of finer porcelain also flourished. Even today, Gifu Prefecture is still the largest producer of ceramics in Japan, producing about half of the country’s ceramics.

KOGEI STANDARD Japanese Crafts Online Media

KOGEI STANDARD

Ryotaro Kato

POINT OF VIEW

CRAFT ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Tsubaki-de Tea Bowl

Hikidashi-guro Tea Bowl

Oribe Tea Bowl

Shino Tea Bowl

The Publication of “Discover, Acquire, Enjoy – The Appreciation of Sake Ware”: An Additional Issue of the Quarterly Journal “Honoho Geijutsu” or “The Art of Fire”