KAGURE

KAGURE Website Open

KAGURE — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:30:15 +0000

We have just opened English version of the website to coincide with participating in the exhibition at Ruthin Craft Centre in Wales.

In this exhibition “Japanese Style : Sustaining Design”, you can see our activities and also textile artists’ works using traditional materials and architects’ efforts. Kagure shows artistic clothes series called “Itajime-shiborizome” which is Japanese traditional dyeing method from 2012 spring & summer collection, and hand works of pottery and wood works. Craftsmen made lots of new works for this exhibition, you can also see them in this gallery page.

This exhibition searches wisdom for the sustainable future through harmonizing tradition with innovation. This theme is also quite important for us, and we are looking forward to seeing how this theme is interpreted by people who see this exhibition.

Chie KODAKA

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:05:51 +0000

After experimenting with various materials and forms, she came to focus her work on Hakuji, white porcelain.
“Since I was a child I have been making something. For me creating things is as instinctive as breathing. Discipline is indispensable for Hakuji pottery. I was longing for a material very hard to handle. I would like to work on porcelain ceramics that are simple and tenacious. White is light.

1968 Born in Nagano
1975〜79 Lives in the 16th arrondissement of Paris due to her father’s job transfer. Visits museums across the European continent.
1976 Meets the world of Japanese handicraft through the ‘Keisuke Serizawa Exhibition’ in Paris
1993 Graduates from Tokyo Univ. Of Arts and Design, from the Department of Sculpture
2005〜07 Receives the Encouragement Prize of the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum.
Currently, based in Nagano where she holds solo and group exhibitions.

Yasutake KONNO

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:05:43 +0000

His interest in antique collections expanded to the world of pottery manufacture. He gradually became disenchanted with mass production and left the factory to train under a folk craftsman in Karatsu, one of the famous ceramic production areas in Japan. The more he learnt the more he became fascinated in the craft. He describes the images he had when starting his own kiln as snow-white scenes of light that can be seen in his native land. His restrained palettes in ceramics have a distinctive feature, which are transformed by firewood and flame.

1971 Born in Yamagata
1994 Enters the Arita-Toetsu Pottery Manufacturer
1996 Becomes a disciple of craftsman Nakagawa-Jinenbou in Karatsu, Saga
2002 Establishes own kiln in Koesawa, Tsuruoka, Yamagata

Eiji MATSUMURA

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:05:36 +0000

Mainly working with “Yakishime” ceramics in various tecniques, using “Oribe” green glaze and “Haiyuu” ash glaze. “It does not matter which method I apply. My goal is to make a piece that gets better in the course of daily use. That change in form is affected by external and internal effects. So I put my careful considerations to the choosing of materials. No excessive care is needed in its daily use. The more often you use it, the more accustomed you become to it.

1970 Born in Kumamoto
1970 Born in Kumamoto
1992-93 Goes on a pilgrimage to Asia
1996 Visits Pakistan and Afghanistan
1997 Graduates the masters program in sculpture at Kanazawa college of Arts
1999 Completes the craftsman course at the Tokoname Institute of Ceramics
Finds his own studio after working in a ceramics factory
Currently, continuing his creative activity at Akubi village in the Aichi prefecture

Morito TATSURUHAMA

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:05:29 +0000

Ancient Korean ceramics fascinated Tatsuruhama into the world of pottery. “When I struggle to make a shape, the material gives me an idea: let it be. It’ s more like clay telling me what to do than vice versa. Ceramics is the zest of life. A piece of pottery is what holds food and life. So I would like to form a piece that makes food on the plate look good. After I finish my work it does not belong to me any more. Like a tiny stone in a landscape, I want my work to be a necessity for somebody’s daily life, like a part of their body.

1973 Born in Tokyo
2000 Graduates the masters program of oil painting at Tama Art University
Moves to Mihama, Aichi and starts learning pottery on his own.
2004 First exhibition at Gallery Rozan, Tokyo
Holds solo exhibition in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukushima, Nara, Shimane and Ohita
2006 Moves to Handa-city, Aichi and finds his own kiln.

Saya OKIHARA

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:05:19 +0000

“First, I started experimenting with bamboo. Then an idea struck me to use bamboo to make craft work. When I became deeply interested in bamboo craft, I came to understand that mankind has made use of bamboo since The ‘Jomon’ period (B.C.2000-B.C.1000, Japan). The Japanese have used this material for architecture, farming, and kitchenware. Well-used tools have an elegance that teaches you respect and care. I hope to design craft that is simple, easy to handle and comfortable in texture for daily use.

1977 Born in Canada, brought up in Tokyo
2005 Apprentices to Shuhei Nagano, a natural crafts artist.
Starts to produce bamboo tableware.
2007 Moves to Yamanashi
2008 Starts working as a professional bamboo craftsman.

Kazuho SHIMOMOTO

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:03:46 +0000

Living in serene nature in Kochi prefecture, he produces crafty bamboo work. “I hope everybody knows how amazing bamboo is. It grows at a rate of more than 10 meters per year. Bamboo sprouts are also good for eating. After it is fully-grown, it may be turned into charcoal for fuel or as purifier for water and air. With its flexibility and toughness this supple plant is also a very good material for tools and buildings. I hope you feel its excellence through my productions.

1978 Born in Kochi
2001 Creates a charcoal kiln and starts making bamboo charcoal.
2005 Moves to the mountainside. Manufactures bamboo crafts.

Yoshiko ENDO

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:03:20 +0000

A craftsman who makes buckets with cedar wood and bamboo in Tohno, Fukushima. More than ten years ago, her husband past away and she took over the business as a fourth generation tuber store( 桶屋 ‘Okeya’ ). All works are done by her own hand; from whittling wood to attaching boards to form buckets. She is proud and happy to do every labor by herself with old style tools handed down by the family.

1939 Born in Fukushima 1997 Takes over the tubber business after her husband passes on. Pursues the activity in Tohno, Iwaki, Fukushima.

starnet

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:03:11 +0000

starnet has been involved in various activities through practicing life style in a way of creative self-sufficiency harmonized with nature in the town of Mashiko Tochigi as known as Pottery village.

1998 : started “starnet” has organic restaurant and gallery and studio of pottery and costume.
2004 : Founded environmental design office and created an environment and architects and space by craft techniques.
Opened “exhibition space ZONE” and held exhibition and workshop and concert.
2007 : Opened “RECODE” where an institution aimed at health care by natural remedies such as herbal.
Started “STARNET MUZIK” and began making music CD with a concept that “sound in harmony with nature”.
2009 : produced comprehensively an art event “TSUCHI MATSURI” of Mashiko town.
2010 : Started “art workers studio” and designed and modeling natural life element.
2011 : Opened “starnet Tokyo” and “starnet Osaka”.

Takeshi UNNO

KAGURE — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:02:56 +0000

“I started my career as a crafts-worker making industrial heavy containers such as autoclaves and tankers. Some years later, when I created some more elaborately designed decorated works I found my passion to see nature as material and product. I am fascinated by the history of adapted customs in transition of nature and process existing the way they are.”

1962　Born in Shizuoka
1981 Moves to Tokyo
1997 Creates his own studio
2000 Holds his first solo exhibition “Tetsu-nabe”
Currently, settled and active in Tokorozawa-city, Saitama