Kawai Kanjiro
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese potter and a key figure in mingei
(Japanese folk art
) and studio pottery
movements, which included his friends Bernard Leach
, Shōji Hamada
and Kenkichi Tomimoto.
Becoming interested in pottery as a child by watching a nearby farmer who made pottery in his spare time, Kawai-san knew by the age of 16 that he wanted to become a potter. Kanjirō graduated from the Tokyo Higher Polytechnical School
in 1914 and worked briefly at the Kyoto Research Institute for Ceramics. Disillusioned with what he felt was an unnecessarily excessive focus on studying theory at both schools, in 1920 he built his own kiln
in Kyoto (a climbing kiln "noborigama") "the Shokeiyo, with eight chambers, began the "Kawai Factory" and began to give exhibitions.
As a potter he sought to combine modern methods of manufacture with traditional Japanese and English designs. He was also an artist, calligrapher, sculptor, writer and philosopher. As a man who respected the dignity of simplicity and collected the works of poor craftspeople from all over Asia, he admired "ordered poverty" and had a profound love for the unpretentious men of the soil and made their simplicity a part of himself. His pots come in many asymmetrical shapes and show expressionistic techniques such as tsutsugaki (slip-trailed decoration), ronuki (wax-resist) or hakeme (white slip).
Kanjirō refused all official honours, including the designation of Living National Treasure
, and his pots were unsigned. His pieces are on display in the Folk Art Museum of Tokyo and each year, the Takashimaya Department Store had an exhibition of his work in their Tokyo and Osaka shops. In November 1953, Kawai-san had one of his biggest exhibitions. It was at the Korin Kaku in Tokyo and over 500 of his pieces were shown.
Kawai-san taught Claude Laloux in the fifties and although he used to use the chemical glazes of Europe, he returned to nature, "to the science that precedes all science - and a return to nature was my salvation". A master of glazes
, the ones that he came to mix most often himself were the hues of nature themselves; warm red copper
(shinsha or yuriko - one of his trademark colors), rich brown iron
(tetsu-yu), chrome
and cobalt
(gosu).
and tatami
and also some Western furnishings. His studio and noborigama kiln
are to the rear of the museum. The firing lasted 48 hours and consumed over 2,000 bundles of firewood. The interior temperature reached 1350 Celsius.
Like his lifelong friend Hamada, Kawai never signed his work but said, "My work itself is my best signature." There is no mistaking his distinctive style.
"The pledge of fire: To return to all things purified."
"Everything that is, is not. Everything is, yet at the same time, nothing is. I myself am the emptiest of all."
"When you become so absorbed in your work that beauty flows naturally then your work truly becomes a work of art."
"Any work of art belongs to everyone, because it is whatever each person sees in it." "It is the same with people. We are all one. I am you. The you that only I can see."
Mingei
', the Japanese folk art movement, was developed in the late 1920s and 1930s in Japan. Its founding father was Yanagi Sōetsu .-Origins:In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of a curiosity for Korean crafts...
(Japanese folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
) and studio pottery
Studio pottery
Studio pottery is made by modern artists working alone or in small groups, producing unique items of pottery in small quantities, typically with all stages of manufacture carried out by one individual. Much studio pottery is tableware or cookware but an increasing number of studio potters produce...
movements, which included his friends Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
, Shōji Hamada
Shoji Hamada
was a Japanese potter. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei folk-art movement, establishing the town of Mashiko as a world-renowned pottery centre.- Biography :...
and Kenkichi Tomimoto.
Becoming interested in pottery as a child by watching a nearby farmer who made pottery in his spare time, Kawai-san knew by the age of 16 that he wanted to become a potter. Kanjirō graduated from the Tokyo Higher Polytechnical School
Tokyo Institute of Technology
The Tokyo Institute of Technology is a public research university located in Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. Tokyo Tech is the largest institution for higher education in Japan dedicated to science and technology. Tokyo Tech enrolled 4,850 undergaraduates and 5006 graduate students for 2009-2010...
in 1914 and worked briefly at the Kyoto Research Institute for Ceramics. Disillusioned with what he felt was an unnecessarily excessive focus on studying theory at both schools, in 1920 he built his own kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
in Kyoto (a climbing kiln "noborigama") "the Shokeiyo, with eight chambers, began the "Kawai Factory" and began to give exhibitions.
As a potter he sought to combine modern methods of manufacture with traditional Japanese and English designs. He was also an artist, calligrapher, sculptor, writer and philosopher. As a man who respected the dignity of simplicity and collected the works of poor craftspeople from all over Asia, he admired "ordered poverty" and had a profound love for the unpretentious men of the soil and made their simplicity a part of himself. His pots come in many asymmetrical shapes and show expressionistic techniques such as tsutsugaki (slip-trailed decoration), ronuki (wax-resist) or hakeme (white slip).
Kanjirō refused all official honours, including the designation of Living National Treasure
Living National Treasure (Japan)
is a Japanese popular term for those individuals certified as by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as based on Japan's...
, and his pots were unsigned. His pieces are on display in the Folk Art Museum of Tokyo and each year, the Takashimaya Department Store had an exhibition of his work in their Tokyo and Osaka shops. In November 1953, Kawai-san had one of his biggest exhibitions. It was at the Korin Kaku in Tokyo and over 500 of his pieces were shown.
Kawai-san taught Claude Laloux in the fifties and although he used to use the chemical glazes of Europe, he returned to nature, "to the science that precedes all science - and a return to nature was my salvation". A master of glazes
Ceramic glaze
Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it.-Use:...
, the ones that he came to mix most often himself were the hues of nature themselves; warm red copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
(shinsha or yuriko - one of his trademark colors), rich brown iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
(tetsu-yu), chrome
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
and cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
(gosu).
Legacy
His house (restored in 1937) in Gojozaka, Kyoto is now a museum run by his living relatives. Besides a display of his ceramics, some of his sculpture and woodcarvings are included in the collection. His house incorporates both Japanese and Western living styles, so one can see both tansuTansu
Tansu is the word for chest, chest of drawers or cupboard in Japanese. It is often used in the West to refer to traditional Japanese chests, handcrafted and made of fine woods, such as Hinoki , Keyaki , Kuri , Sugi and Kiri .Many collectors focus on finding antique Tansu...
and tatami
Tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width...
and also some Western furnishings. His studio and noborigama kiln
Anagama kiln
thumb|250px|right|Anagama kiln 1 Door about wide2 Firebox3 Stacking floor made of silica sand4 Dampers5 Flue6 Chimney7 Refractory archThe anagama kiln is an ancient type of pottery kiln brought to Japan from China via Korea in the 5th century.An anagama consists of a firing chamber with a...
are to the rear of the museum. The firing lasted 48 hours and consumed over 2,000 bundles of firewood. The interior temperature reached 1350 Celsius.
Like his lifelong friend Hamada, Kawai never signed his work but said, "My work itself is my best signature." There is no mistaking his distinctive style.
Quotes
Kawai-san was also a poet and like his pottery, his writing is strong and unconventional. In 1953, a book entitled "We Do Not Work Alone" was published."The pledge of fire: To return to all things purified."
"Everything that is, is not. Everything is, yet at the same time, nothing is. I myself am the emptiest of all."
"When you become so absorbed in your work that beauty flows naturally then your work truly becomes a work of art."
"Any work of art belongs to everyone, because it is whatever each person sees in it." "It is the same with people. We are all one. I am you. The you that only I can see."