Japan Ceramics Society Award Winners Exhibition

It's been a month of tremendous rain here in Mishima--and the rest of Japan as well--the most rain in recorded history in fact. The Kyushu region was particularly hit hard. In Shigaraki Kato Takahiko was crazy enough to fire his anagama---it's often said that woodfirers are a breed apart---and told me he expected some 'interesting effects' due to the weather's influence on temperature and wood condition.

Well, today the clouds have parted and it's one of those hot-enough-to-fire-a-guinomi-on-a-sidewalk type of day, and I'm off to Tokyo (not far off from a woodfirer in the common sense dept) to visit the Japan Ceramic Society's 2005 Award-Winners Exhibition on at Wako Hall until August 3. The JCS Award went to Ichino Masahiko(b.1961), while the JCS Gold Award will be presented to Celadon specialist Nakajima Hiroshi(b.1941).

Many of you know my respect and admiration for Ichino, and have seen his thoroughly fresh and innovative works in our web gallery. I'm very much looking forward to today's exhibition to see where his imagination has led him recently--and promise to have a few photos up before Saturday of what I stood before.

Nakajima is based in Takeo, Saga-pref. and creates intricately carved celadon works. More soon, have to catch a train.....