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Tag: Mino

Faithful Objects: Pottery by Kenneth Pincus

By:
Ai Kanazawa
September 22, 2015Ceramics Kenneth Pincus

Pottery by Kenneth Pincus in our shop ->

Kenneth Pincus has been throwing, trimming, glazing and firing pottery for a long time. Reflecting on a career that has spanned two continents, Kenneth says that, “From the very beginning, pottery focused my mind and drew me in like few other activities.”

Potter Kenneth Pincus at a kick wheel in his studio in Oregon
Kenneth Pincus working at his pottery studio in Oregon
(Photo courtesy of Kenneth Pincus)

As a young Chinese Studies student at the University of California Santa Cruz in the early 1970s, Kenneth struggled to find his place in the world. But he soon discovered the world of clay and began learning pottery under Al Johnsen. This was the beginning of his fascination with the great pottery traditions of East Asia, which continues to the present day.

After graduation, Kenneth traveled to Taiwan to continue his study of Chinese and pottery. He subsequently returned to the U.S and began working out of a small pottery studio in Venice in Southern California. A series of events followed, including meeting his Japanese wife Hiroko Ozawa and learning Japanese, that led him to Japan where he got to know Yoshida Yoshihiko, a master potter in Gifu prefecture.

Tenmoku-Ovoid
Exquisite tenmoku glazed large ovoid bowl by Kenneth Pincus

Kenneth recalls that, “Among the dozens and dozens of potters that I had met in Tajimi, Yoshida seemed especially open-minded and rock-solid serious at the same time, and for me this seemed like a breath of fresh air.” So Kenneth began an apprenticeship with Yoshida in the mid-1980s that lasted almost three years.

Yoshida is well known in Japan for his understated yet outstandingly beautiful work that is full of life and warmth. Yoshida taught Kenneth not to force things in his work or go to an extreme just to gain attention. While many potters aim to be original, Yoshida’s philosophy is that merely unusual work is nothing exceptional.

Wooden trimming knives
Wooden trimming knives that Kenneth learned to make from Yoshida. These knives are all handmade out of local wood and gives a distinct look to the trimmed clay surface. To Kenneth, using these wooden knives makes trimming a joyous challenge rather than a chore.
(Photo courtesy of Kenneth Pincus)

Most importantly for Kenneth, the time with Yoshida was a spiritual preparation in which being open-minded became an instinctive way of thinking and this helped him to find his own way in clay. An example of such a learning episode was when Kenneth asked Yoshida’s opinion about the leaf form plates he often saw in shops and galleries around Tajimi during his apprenticeship. Kenneth asked what Yoshida thought about copying leaf forms in clay, some of which were direct copies. Yoshida replied, “sure, it is fine to copy a leaf form if that is what you want, but it is far better to copy the life force that produced that form and incorporate that into your work.”

Trim-texture
Kenneth trimming a foot on a tea bowl. The distinct texture left on the clay is visible.
(Photo courtesy of Kenneth Pincus)

Three decades on, Kenneth is still fully engaged with clay and approaches it each time with the eagerness and fresh eyes of a child. Most of Kenneth’s small pots are created on a kick-wheel by throwing off-the-hump, while his larger pieces are made on an electric wheel. He works in 1-2 month cycles of forming, throwing and trimming and then glazing and firing. At the start of every cycle, Kenneth cleans the studio, which is a meditative task that helps him to focus. By the time he sits at the wheel, he knows what form he is after.

Kenneth uses both gas and wood kilns. His wood-fired kiln is fired 2-3 times a year using a variety of wood from the local area: big leaf maple, Douglas fir, pine, alder, and different types of harder woods like cherry or oak. Even though it is hard work, wood-firing is rewarding for Kenneth because it inspires him to grow and be more adventurous with the clay. “There is always a balance between control and freedom, and the wood firing adds a big helping of the unexpected to my often limited efforts, and for this I am very thankful.” He also enjoys the special bond that the wood-firing process brings between the local potters because its preparation demands collaboration.

Ken Pincus' wood-firing kiln in the Skyline area of North West Oregon
Kenneth Pincus’ wood-firing kiln in the Skyline area of North West Oregon.
Each firing lasts about 36 hours with 4 people working in half-day shifts.
(Photo courtesy of Kenneth Pincus)

At first glance, Kenneth’s work might seem simple, but under its quiet surface there is so much vigor that invites the pieces to be picked up. “The crucial factor for me is that the clay is not overworked, that I throw the piece to the size and thickness it needs to be, and then stop. This is to say it’s important to know when to end the throwing as too much touching causes the form to lose its buoyancy and freshness” Kenneth observes.

Wood-fired rice bowl by Kenneth Pincus. The flared shape has an air of sophistication and allows the bowl to be of multi-use. It also is easier to eat from.
Wood-fired rice bowl by Kenneth Pincus. The flared shape has an air of sophistication and allows the bowl to be of multi-use. It also is easier to eat from.

To me, what is so remarkable about Kenneth’s work is its energizing directness. Be it a rice bowl or a cup, Kenneth’s pots are born to be used and they are alive with healthy beauty.

matcha
Making matcha in a wood-fired kiseto tea bowl by Kenneth Pincus is pure delight. The bowl is well-balanced and lovely to hold.

Kenneth’s long time friend and potter Bill Geisinger remarked that, “I use Ken’s pots everyday. They are finely crafted with unique character that add beauty to my life!” My husband, who cares very little about pottery, uses Kenneth’s rice bowl everyday at dinner because “it feels good to eat from it”.

Kenneth says he is thankful for his life as a potter, for the chance to play and to work hard. We are very fortunate that there is a potter like Kenneth Pincus creating beautiful work that can be interwoven with our practical lives, and become our true and constant companions.

 

The Ancient Pottery Town of Tajimi Comes Alive with its Annual Spring Ceramics Festival

By:
Ai Kanazawa
May 27, 2014Ceramics Mino / Tajimi Travels

Japan has a historically rich and vibrant ceramics scene, but much of it is local and barely known beyond its shores. Stepping foot into this other world requires going to the pottery towns and other out-of-the-way places deep in Japan’s interior, which is what we at Studio Kotokoto find especially intriguing and rewarding.

This past spring, I visited the annual ceramics festival in Tajimi in Gifu Prefecture. It was my first visit to a ceramics festival being held in the hometown of Mino pottery, which is renowned for the green copper glazed Oribe and soft white glazed Shino style wares.

Narumi-Oribe
Narumi Oribe plate by a student from Tajimi Technical High School. It tastefully represents the traditional Narumi style, which is made using two clay bodies: white clay with green glaze, and red clay with white slip and vivid geometric designs.

Mino pottery dates back to the 7th and 8th centuries with the production of Sue ware (or Sueki). The remains of ancient kilns that produced these ceramics can still be found in the neighboring town of Kakamigahara. This region became well known in the 16th century for its Oribe ware, named after tea master and warrior Furuta Oribe who was a Mino native.

Capitalizing on its fame as a center of aesthetic pottery, Tajimi and the surrounding area of Touno have risen to become the largest ceramics-producing region in the country. Around half of Japan’s ceramics and tiles currently come from this area.

tile-art
The banks of Toki river that runs through the town of Tajimi are adorned with tile mosaics.
Tajimi is the biggest producer of ceramic tiles in Japan.

As Tajimi is only a short 30-minute ride by fast train to the north of Nagoya, the largest city in Chubu region, it has also become a sprawling commuter town. Overseas, Tajimi is perhaps best known for its International Ceramics Festival, which is a triennial event that features a world-class ceramics competition funded by numerous local government organizations and ceramics associations.

The show that I went to see, though, was a local event that Tajimi hosts annually. When I got off the train at JR Tajimi station on a bright spring morning, there were people handing out detailed maps and information about the ceramics festival and local attractions. The atmosphere was festive with all sorts of events taking place. There were wheel-throwing pottery demonstrations, performances by local school orchestras, and plenty of entertainment for families with small children.

Tajimi-creator's-market
The entrance to the arcade hosting Tajimi Creator’s Market.

My main purpose for visiting Tajimi was to see the Tajimi Creator’s Market, a small arcade of stalls organized by graduates of two local pottery schools in Tajimi called Ishoken and Tajimi Technical High School. This market was started 5 years ago as a venue to connect fledging potters working in the Touno area with end users.

I arrived in the early morning hoping to beat the crowd in order to see the best selection of work on offer and to meet many of the talented young potters on display.  There were around 50 potters showing their work in the Tajimi Creator’s Market, but even though I got there early, the arcade was already quickly filling up with people. According to one potter, the number of visitors that their event attracts has been growing every year. Nonetheless, I had a very rewarding time in finding an exciting young potter that we look forward to introducing on Studio Kotokoto in the near future.

A stall selling Oribe style pottery on Oribe street, the main thoroughfare of the festival.
A stall selling Oribe style pottery on Oribe street, the main thoroughfare of the festival.

After visiting the Creator’s Market, I made my way to Oribe Street, which is the main artery for the ceramics festival. The most significant difference between the Tajimi ceramics festival and the various craft fairs that I have visited elsewhere in Japan is that this festival hosts stalls operated by local stores selling Minoyaki at discounted prices. So if you know what you are looking for, this is a great opportunity to acquire beautiful Mino pottery at affordable prices.

Oribe-street
Tajimi Oribe street lined with vendors selling pottery.

On my way back to the train station, I came across a pottery stall run by several current students of Tajimi Technical High School who were helping to raise funds for their school. The pieces were so well made and beautiful that I picked up a piece of Oribe ware to take home.

manhole-cover-tajimi
Even the manhole covers of Tajimi feature ceramics. It is clear that Tajimi considers its ceramics heritage as an important part of its identity.

As I continued my walk back to the station, I thought about how difficult it must be for the budding potters that I came across at the beginning of their careers to be able to make a living in our fast-paced world. But these young artists residing in and around Tajimi have an important advantage. The Tajimi show was put together by the local community –from the local government to schools and businesses- to promote and support the local craft industry. There are few other places that I know of that goes to such great lengths to aid its ceramic artists.

After 13 centuries, the old pottery town of Tajimi continues to be a nurturing and inspirational starting place for future aspiring potters.

 

 

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