Masaaki Iwasa 'Silver Glazed Kintsugi Flower Vase II'
Dimensions - H 38.5cm x Ø 10.5cm (base)
Material - A combination of Bizen (dense, high-iron) and Shigaraki (coarse, quartz-rich) stoneware clays, silver and bronze foil and lacquer
Method - Hand built and finished using Totai-shikki, a traditional Japanese craft that fuses ceramic pottery with lacquerware (urushi) & kintsugi, Japanese art of mending fractures
Care - Clean gently with damp cloth and dry. Do not soak.
Description
Iwasa’s works balance architectural presence and quiet strength. Geometric planes, sharp angles and refined lines are disrupted by fractures and irregular breaks, creating a dialogue between precision and spontaneity.
The surfaces are equally complex, areas of smooth, stone like finish sit alongside passages of intricate, weathered texture, suggesting the gradual effects of time and erosion. Finished using Totai-shikki, (a traditional Japanese technique that combines ceramic and urushi lacquerware) the pieces reveal rich, layered surfaces. Calm white, silver, bronze and deep red planes fracture and clash with deep blacks across their surfaces, an introduction of movement and drama resembling abstract details of a stormy seascape.
Both monumental and deeply considered, Iwasa’s vessels embody a tranquil balance of opposing qualities, strength and fragility, refinement and rawness.
About the Artist
Masaaki Iwasa is a ceramic artist based in Izumo. Originally from Ehime Prefecture, he trained in Bizen and Shigaraki pottery before establishing his own kiln in Izumo. His work is centred on totai-shikki, a distinctive ceramic lacquerware technique that combines clay, lacquer and silver foil to create surfaces with a metal-like texture and depth.
