Naoto YanoYano Naoto

Naoto Yano is currently the most notable young Karatsu potter. Born in 1976, he has created a wide variety of pottery pieces reminiscent of old Karatsu from the Momoyama period, including Korean Karatsu vases, painted and black Karatsu vases, skinned whales, Madara Karatsu sake cups, and tableware.

The journey to pottery

Although he began making pottery at the age of 30, it cannot be said that he has been doing so for a long time, his art career could be said to have begun when he spent a total of five years in the United States, including one year as an exchange student during high school, studying oil painting. After returning to Japan after studying painting, he happened to come across an old Karatsu tea bowl and fell in love with it. He was drawn to its charm, which was different from the Karatsu ware that he had only imagined until then, and decided to aspire to become a potter.
He learned the basics of pottery from scratch at the Arita Ceramics School, and actively participated in the local Old Karatsu Study Group, where he learned from senior artists and steadily continued his research. His father was also a potter, but he did not train under him for many years, nor did he apprentice under another artist. Being self-taught, he began making pottery freely without being bound by any set framework, and in a word, many of his works seem to be a return to his roots.

Steady research and a return to basics

This is the generation above artists in their 30s such as Yano. In contrast to the artists who are now considered mid-career artists who have taken avant-garde, new directions in Karatsu, including glazes, it seems that the style is returning somewhat to the first generation of Karatsu ware by Nakazato Muan, and the second generation of artists such as Hoan, Shigetoshi, and Takashi. Of course, this means that the techniques of all Karatsu generations since Nakazato Muan are being consolidated, and Yano seems to have adopted the techniques of many senior artists and assimilated them in his own way. It is clear that this work uses the techniques of this artist, but it is Yano's Karatsu that is suited to the current era, and is not simply an imitation. The works he produces are very diverse, including rough Korean Karatsu ware, delicate Yamase's Madara Karatsu ware, and chamfered black Karatsu ware reminiscent of the Yi Dynasty.

Ancient techniques and modern sensibilities

Karatsu mukozuke has the texture of old Kogaratsu from the Momoyama period, and the glaze in particular is very close to Kokaratsu. It is possible that this was not used, but the glaze was not applied sufficiently to the bottom, and the earthen part is more visible in proportion to the clay part at the bottom.

In normal firing, it is common to apply the glaze to the curved parts a little more, but this piece is intentionally glazed higher up, recreating the slightly flawed parts of older pieces. This gives it a slightly more modern, stylish feel. This subtle nuance makes the piece not overwhelmingly different from others, but rather subtle, and gives it a unique feel in the way the lines and shapes of the wheel are seen. This may be difficult to understand for those who are not familiar with pottery, but it is also highly valued in restaurants.

It is difficult to explain in words why Yano's work is so popular compared to other artists of the same generation, but one reason is his deep understanding of old things and his high ability to reproduce them. This is why he is highly rated by many customers and restaurants who are interested in the history of pottery. Recently, more and more restaurants are becoming interested in pottery, and while Arita tableware was mainstream 20 to 30 years ago, this type of tableware is now being used in sushi restaurants and Japanese restaurants as well.

The fascinating world of Mr. Yano

On the first day of the solo exhibition, many people lined up, all choosing Yano's works. I think this is also proof that Karatsu pottery is being created to suit the tastes of modern people. He is an artist who has a wide range of potential and can be expected to continue to grow in the future.

The first exhibition was held at Gallery Ichibankan in Momochihama, and it was a two-person exhibition by Naoto Yano and Kentaro Murayama. This was my first exhibition at Ichibankan, and it all started with the Saga University Karatsu Project. This project was an attempt by Saga Prefecture to explore how young artists could brand Karatsu ware, and we started meeting about 10-14.5 years ago. At that time, there were many young artists, but I was particularly drawn to Naoto Yano. Since then, we have started handling his work at Ichibankan, and almost every year, we hold a Karatsu exhibition in Tokyo. As a result, his name quickly became known through the exhibitions, and he joined the ranks of artists representing Karatsu. He is also highly regarded by restaurants.

Mr. Sakamoto, the owner of Ichibankan, also has a very deep respect for Mr. Yano. Mr. Sakamoto is 59 years old, while Mr. Yano is 47 years old. From the first time they met, Mr. Yano 's extremely pure humanity stood out, and it is this that makes him shine as a popular author. I resonate with Naoto Yano's growth, and I hope that Ichibankan will continue to grow in the future.