Etsuji Noguchi 'Jar' (78)

Dimensions: H 23cm x W 30cm 

Materials: Wild Clay

Method:  Hand turned 

Care: Water-tight and food-safe. Wash gently by hand.

Description

This vessel rises from a narrow base, expanding swiftly into a full, rounded body before tapering inward to a defined lip. The silhouette is both bold and contained, balancing volume with restraint. This vessel is made from naturally sourced materials and has been exquisitely hand-turned before being fired in a textured lichen-like glaze. The surface bears a crystalline texture, enriched by a deep chromatic blend of natural colours. 

About the Artist

Etsuji Noguchi is a contemporary ceramic artist based in Kagoshima prefecture. His fascination with Yakishime pottery from Tanegashima, a southern island of Japan, instigated his relocation to the island in 1999. During his tenure at Tanegashima, Noguchi devoted his days to various activities such as excavating and processing clay from the mountains, preparing firewood, and firing pottery in traditional kilns. His experience using naturally sourced raw materials continues to shape his work and is fundamental to his practice.

In 2006, Noguchi received training under the tutelage of Takashi Nakazato, a renowned ceramic master in Karatsu. This experience allowed him to refine his craft, and while he initially worked with traditional firewood kilns in Italy, Denmark, and Northern Arizona, he now predominantly works using electric kilns.

Noguchi's latest series, Verdigris Green, demonstrates his mastery of color and surface texture. These dynamic, finely made pieces murmur through hues of chromium oxide to rich copper green. This hum of colour is echoed in the tactile moss-like surfaces he achieves by adding an accumulation of ash during the firing processes. The resulting works blur the line between contemporary pottery and historical artefacts, endowing them with an enigmatic beauty that leaves the origins of these pieces unclear, an ideal that Noguchi is seeking within his work.