RAKU WARE

Raku wares were first made by Chōjirō during the Momoyama period (1573-1615) and have continued to be produced by successive generations of the Raku family for almost 450 years. Jikinyū is the name assumed by the 15th generation Raku Kichizaemon when he retired from the family headship in favour of his elder son in 2019. Since then, he has continued to be active in exploring his unique artistic vision.

Tea ceramics are wares made specifically for use in the tea ceremony (chanoyu). Tea bowls (chawan) in particular have long been cherished not only as utensils but also as objects of aesthetic appreciation. This exhibition focuses on tea ceramics that have a strong and distinctive artistic presence. In addition to tea bowls, items not often included in exhibitions such as fresh-water jars (mizusashi) and charcoal containers (hiire) are included among the works on display. While they are intended to be used in tea ceremony meetings (chakai), they demonstrate – like his tea bowls – Jikinyū’s highly original approach to making ceramics. We hope you will enjoy this opportunity to engage with Jikinyū’s creative world.

Raku wares were first made by Chōjirō in the Momoyama period (1573-1615) and have been produced by successive generations of the Raku family for almost 450 years. Jikinyū is the name assumed by the 15th generation Raku Kichizaemon when he stepped down from the family headship in favour of his elder son in 2019. Since retiring, Jikinyū has continued to expand his ever-developing artistic language in the avant-garde spirit of the imayaki chawan  (lit. now-ware tea bowls) famously pioneered by Chōjirō.

The works in the exhibition are all of the yakinuki type. The term yakinuki means firing to the limit of what a kiln and its contents can withstand. It refers in particular to a method of firing the Black Raku kiln to a temperature well above the 1200 degrees centigrade normally used to fire Black Raku tea bowls. The unique effects obtained by the use of the yakinuki firing technique combined with the dynamically sculptural approach Jikinyū takes to the making of his forms produce works of incontestable originality.

The works Jikinyū creates under the umbrella of yakinuki vary enormously in visual appearance and material quality. They are made from several different kinds of clay and are glazed using a wide range of materials. They have many kinds of surface texture and there is much diversity in how spatulas have been used to sculpt their forms. Until around 2014 their glazes were bright and colourful but in recent years they have tended to be more subdued and monochromatic. The exhibition focuses on yakinuki tea bowls made between 2000 and the present day. We hope you will enjoy this opportunity to engage with the richness and always evolving diversity of Jikinyū’s creative world.