Newsletter (March 22, 2025 Karatsu Sakurei Oka New Works Exhibition)

Hello everyone.

We are now in the equinox period and spring-like warmth has finally returned, but this winter was really cold for ages.

The "Karatsu Oka Sakurei New Works Exhibition" has begun today at GALLERY Ichibankan.
This exhibition of new works by Professor Okamoto is usually held in the fall, but this time it will be held in the middle of spring.
Cherry blossoms will also be in bloom during the event.

Well, this new exhibition has a lot of ambitious works on display, but the "Suisei Karatsu tea bowl" that I introduced in the DM is a new frontier for Mr. Okamoto.
We have produced a tea bowl with a glaze pattern never seen before.

The material used for the body is a highly fire-resistant clay called Korean kaolin.
By applying a thick layer of transparent glaze to this, it was possible to create pottery with a color similar to that of Goryeo celadon.
At the kiln site in Arita called Tengudani, pottery fragments that look like something between pottery and porcelain have also been found.
This work makes us aware that even before the discovery of Izumiyama pottery stone, pottery similar to porcelain was being fired in Karatsu and Arita.
There are still many mysteries surrounding the origins of Karatsu ware, and while Professor Okamoto has been investigating the kiln sites in Korea and Karatsu, he has produced many pieces inspired by Old Karatsu and Yi Dynasty pottery. I believe that he will continue to create new pottery and conduct new research in the future.

This is an exhibition of new works by Professor Okamoto, who is also well-known for his tableware and sake ware.
There are many works for everyday use and restaurants on display. Professor Okamoto will be at the venue almost every day during the exhibition period until the 30th (Sun), so please find time to visit.
Please come to the exhibition.

Well, everyone, I hope you have a great weekend this week.

Naoki Sakamoto, Owner of Ichibankan