ARAKAWA TOYOZO: The 130th Anniversary of his Birth
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| 左から順に：1. Splited bamboo-shaped flower vase, KIseto type《黄瀬戸破竹花入》1954年 Arakawa Toyozo Museum （荒川豊蔵資料館）、2. Fresh-water jar, Shino type《志野水指》1938-41年 Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu（岐阜県現代陶芸美術館）、3. Square-shaped plate with drawing of potter’s quiet life, underglaze blue《染付閑居作陶之図四方皿》1971年 The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu（岐阜県美術館）、4. Tea bowl known as “Kan-a” (crow in winter), Setoguro type《瀬戸黒茶碗 銘 寒鴉》1960年以前 The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu（岐阜県美術館）、5. Jar with Peach Flowers in the Stream《壺に桃花流水之図》1980年 National Crafts Museum（国立工芸館）撮影者：ニューカラー写真印刷 Photography by New Color Photographic Printing Co., Ltd. |
Toyozo Arakawa (1894–1985) is a distinguished ceramic artist from Gifu Prefecture and a holder of two Important Intangible Cultural Properties (Living National Treasures) for Shino and Setoguro ceramics. He demonstrated that Shino-type ceramics from the Momoyama era, previously believed to originate from Seto (Aichi Prefecture), were actually produced in the Mino region (Gifu Prefecture) by discovering the ceramic shards himself.
On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition looks back at the life and work of Arakawa, a pioneer of Mino ceramics and a leading figure in modern Japanese ceramics.
The exhibition chronicles Arakawa’s artistic journey from his formative years to his later career, presenting his artistic methodology and philosophical outlook through a diverse array of ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, collected objects, and personal items that convey aspects of his friendships and lifestyle. The exhibits also include a selection of works that reveal Arakawa’s early ambitions as a painter and his enduring passion for painting. Through approximately 180 works and documents, the exhibition seeks to deepen the understanding of Toyozo Arakawa’s artistic essence.
