Kato YasukageXIV Exhibition in Okayama

Eastern and western Japan are quite different in many ways with the most obvious being in dilalect and mannerisms. In the pottery world the differences I'd like to point out here are in department store galleries. In Tokyo--eastern Japan--the two most prestigious places are Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya both in the Nihonbashi section of Tokyo. Having a show in either venue means you've reached to pinnacle of d.s.g's and have made a name for yourself. In western Japan, these two d.s.g's are not as prestigious, for some odd reason. In Osaka the main venue is Umeda Hankyu--some say the best d.s.g. in all Japan, and also Tenmaya in Okayama. It's at the latter that Mino ceramic artist Kato YasukageXIV will be having a solo exhibition from March 7-March 13. In a way it's a homecoming for Kato for he did study in Bizen--located about 35 minutes away--with past Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu. Kato is making all styles of Mino excelling in his pastel toned Shino chawan and sculptural Oribe works. Kato is still relatively young--born in 1964--- and is surely a potter to keep one's eyes on.