Flower Vase

Masahiro Sakakura is an artist who, while immersed in the traditions of Hagi ware at a historic kiln, is at the same time sincerely pursuing his own creative vision. His works demonstrate his obsession with Hagi clay, which has continued to grow since his exposure to it in childhood, as well as the formative abilities honed through his study of sculpture, and give us a sense of a new future for Hagi ware.

In the mountains, rainwater and spring water gently trickle down the surface of rocks and trees. This piece is one of a series of works that the artist has been creating, inspired by such scenes. Contemplating the piece, one can imagine a tree standing quietly in the sun, exposed to wind and rain, and ultimately rotting away and returning to the earth. The vase, with its white glaze poured over the himo-zukuri (“coil built”) clay surface, is as beautiful as if it were a product of nature itself, made without any unnecessary artifice. The work is deeply impressive for the artist’s profound attention to the nature around him and his creativity in giving life with his own hands to what he sees and absorbs from it.