116th Industrial Ceramic Arts Division – Winning Works
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award
Zuisetsu (Yoshiyasu Harada), Saga Prefecture
Being moved and left with expectation as the silently falling snow colors the landscape in white and silver. The process of the snow falling and accumulating was expressed stepwise using colors of porcelain.
2nd Place – Governor of Saga Prefecture Award
Hitohira (Yū Mochidzuki), Nagasaki Prefecture
One can find potsherd in Arita. When looking at these small fragments, one gets excited asking oneself who produced this piece of art and how it might continue. Also, the small fragments that used to be capsules of technology might break and turn into dust. This was created imagining that it might be interesting if present and past connected by sticking together these fragments. Also, looking at 5-piece sets from the past, the style of painting was liberal and one feels that it might even be interesting if they did not match. In addition, one feels that the vessels might enjoy playing around a bit. These vessels were produced imagining that life would be richer and happier if there were more “pure” pieces of art and pieces of art that have playful characteristics.
3rd Place – Mayor of Arita Town Award
Ryūyūhirabachi Gosusaishoku (Takayuki Nishi), Saga Prefecture
Shaped using the potter`s wheel, the bowls were painted with clear glaze keeping the flow of originality. Applying gosu to the green, a pattern of flowing gosu was created.
Asahi Shinbun Award
Hakuji Obimon Sara (Yūki Inoue)
After it was shaped using the potter`s wheel, a pattern reminiscent of an obi came to expression through the engravings. Since it is handmade, the way the obi is shaped differs from piece to piece. Please hold it in your hand when looking at it since there are patterns engraved also on the backside.
Kumamoto Broadcasting Award
Moon Leaf (Saeko Fujiuchi), Gifu Prefecture
The pattern on the plates stand out due to the coal used when applying the over-glaze. The surface is slightly different from piece to piece according to the spin of the potter`s wheel, the way the over-glazed piled up and the mere differences in the process of firing.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saga Prefecture Award
Dolce (Kana Sawamura), Saga Prefecture
Produced while imagining cakes lined up in a show window. Hopefully one feels joy when choosing one of the various brightly colored cakes. The motives were designed using sketches of [Raspberry mousse], [Strawberry Shortcake], [Citrus Cake], [Gelatin dessert] and [Cider]. It shall be used as bonbonniere to put inside colorful sweets.
Saga Shinbun Award
Jikiseedo （porcelain shade）(Kabushikigaisha Ikeda Seitōsho Masahisa Ikeda), Saga Prefecture
As a result of a long pursuit of the potential of Arita ware, this piece of art was produced in collaboration with illumination makers. One of the characteristics of Arita ware, the translucent white-blue Amakusa stone was used as the main raw material giving this piece of art its special features.
Saga Television Award
Flowrous【Ceramic Aroma Reed Diffuser】(Hatamantōen ×Promoduction), Saga Prefecture
A newly developed, flower shaped aroma reed diffuser made of porcelain. Following the principle of plants, the delicate porous raw material for porcelain absorbs aromatic oils spreading the scent that makes nature volatile. This is an expression using the new porous resource developed by the Saga Ceramics Research Laboratory and applying high-tech 3D-design technology with its details giving the impression of a real flower.
Tōgyōjihō Award
Hyōseiji Ryōsenmon Kaki (Masakatsu Aoki), Saga Prefecture
Nishinippon Shinbun Award
Flower (Maki Nakahara), Nagasaki Prefecture
A shade of the high quality Amakusa stone that is also beautiful in a high-fired but unglazed state. The relief of the flower transmitting the light increases the sense of translucence. Shaped by getting grinded with water at the potter`s wheel, carvings were applied to the thinly grinded groundwork that was afterwards fired at high temperature.
Nikkan Kōgyō Shinbun Award
HOD White In Versi (Yūgengaisha Risōyōgyōsho Shinji Terauchi), Saga Prefecture
Pursuing the abilities in the realm of interior, this is a collaboration piece with a foreign artist. With [forest] as the theme, through the challenge of creating new values by connecting the designer [Gum Design] from Italy with Arita, this piece of art emphasizes the share of wisdom between three parties.
Nihon Keizai Shinbun Award
Touseki (Kabushikigaisha Kihara, Kazuhiro Ikeda), Saga Prefecture
Laying the focus on Arita`s main material the [pottery stone], actual [Touseki] quarried from the Izumiyama quarry, whose discovery meant that Arita would become Japan`s birthplace for porcelain, was used. It may look like an objet d`art but due to its potential functionality as a chopstick or cutlery rest, it may actually be used as a daily object. Due to its historical background and the immediately visually appealing design, it aims to be a communication tool telling the user about Arita ware.
Yomiuri Shinbun Award
Kinsai Moist Matsu Henkeizara Zoroi (Shinji Hataishi), Saga Prefecture
The shape recreates the old Nabeshima`s pine tree variation, mixing in celadon porcelain to achieve a higher clearness and softness, results in a more gentle quality due to the sandblast. Also, it is a quality product when arranging and bringing in prominence food. (Moist is the name of the brand this was produced for.)
Arita Ceramics Wholesalers Cooperative Award
Nisai Karatsu Hanabi Monsara (Sakurei Okamoto), Saga Prefecture
The pattern expresses the flow of the over-glaze. Two different layers of over-glaze were applied to the fusion points and the pattern was shaped by the glaze running flowing through the gaps. By changing the width of the gaps, change was brought to the pattern, letting a blue color emerge in the center where everything comes together.
Ceramics and Wholesalers Cooperative of Saga Prefecture Award
Yururi Nuovo Komon Kyūsanzara (Kawazoe Seizangama Shirō Kawazoe), Saga Prefecture
A pursuit to keep a balance between the sense of quality that can be gained due porcelain and old Japanese woven patterns. Aimed to create a piece of art that would equally fit into a Japanese as well as a western scene of arranging a table by combining patterns that will at first sight look like the surface of porcelain and ironware but also express a sense of black and gold lacquer ware, depending on the angle it is viewed from.
Saga Prefecture Ceramic Industry Cooperative Award
Kyūsu (shō) to Kosen Chawan (Kenichi Imamura), Saga Prefecture
Expression through three different patterns (wave, cloisonné, hemp leaf). Since one in ten people is left-handed, there is also a set for left-handers.
Hizen Ceramics Business and Industry Cooperative Award
Mizudashi Reicha Bottle to Sencha (Yūgengaisha Soesenseitōsho Kenichi Soejima), Saga Prefecture
Due to the decrease in earthenware teapots and purses, it has become difficult to maintain fabric stores that practice mud-pouring. Therefore, as an idea for items fitting new lifestyles, bottles that will fit in the doors of refrigerators and suit the recent trend of cold brew beverages were invented. A production to uncover a demand for new items and styles.
International Relations Association of the Porcelain City of Arita Award
Magatamatachi no Gasshō (Che Mushikku), South Korea
1. Shape: Cross-section comma-shaped crown from the Kara Empire.
2. Moulding method: After shaping it using the Slip casting method, the casting holes were filled.
3. Empress of the Kara Empire robe`s train pattern was applied, expressing the white pattern on top of the black glaze.
4. Main plate (big) 2x, Comma-shaped plate (medium) 2x, Comma-shaped sauce-plate (small) 2x as a set for two people.
5. The inside of the utensils are hollow so the objects are light but stable
Technique Award
Nishiki Kasen Yōshiki Hanshuki (Kasen Sōsakueshi), Saga Prefecture
The production`s theme was [Making a showy, bright and luxury Sake set]. To make it more colorful a lot of colors were used on the delicate cotton print pattern while purple is the main color for the arabesque pattern. Through that, a striped pattern was created.
The golden part of the arabesque patterns on the gold glaze parts were painted on a white background and a delicate wave pattern was added. This creates an image of the sea visible through a cloudlike arabesque pattern. In order to give this wave pattern three-dimensionality and beauty, a slight pink reminiscent of cherry-blossoms was added, making sure that it would not get lost in the gold by letting it appear sparkling depending on the angle it is viewed from. In the middle, a pattern of the Nabeshima Kushitakadai was painted, straining the balance of the whole object.
Sometsuke Hanakarakusa Hirabachi (Toyotaka Ishihara), Saga Prefecture
Designed to joufully serve many different dishes.
116th Arita International Ceramics Competition – Industrial Ceramic Arts Division – Examination Review
April 18th, 2019
Examination Review
Tomoko Kosaka, Chief Examiner of the Industrial Ceramic Division
The Arita International Ceramics Competition is a public fair that can look back on a more than 120 years long tradition. The succession of this long tradition accomplished by the accumulation of innovative processes. Porcelain making in Arita has a 400-years long history and at this year`s competition, there was a new inspiration of vitality at the Industrial Ceramic Division. There were 103 entries by 89 different exhibitors and among them, pieces that keep up the tradition, as well as pieces taking on the challenge of new attempts, pieces that combine tradition and progress could be seen in great numbers.
At the Industrial Ceramic Division that we were in charge of, we kept an eye on the artistic as well as the commercial aspect and conducted the examination based on the different backgrounds of the examiners.
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award winner [Zuisetsu] gave the impression of silently falling snow changing the landscape. One by one, the six items get covered more and more in snow, indicating a silent change of time. The atmosphere of being of use in both, Japanese and western ambiences also was a reason for the evaluation.
Governor of Saga Prefecture Award winner [Hitohira] was another piece of art giving a sense of time. However, in this case it was not about the change of time but the harmony of past and present. The potsherd symbolizing the past are adopted into vessels of modern life. Another factor that caught the attention was the raising of the conception of “upcycling” to modern life.
The [Ryūyūhirabachi Gosusaishoku] received the Mayor of Arita Town Award. The beauty of the clear green glaze flowing in this vessel made with the potter`s wheel, and the expression of skillfully controlling the flowing glaze makes it possible to imagine this vessel in many different sceneries.
With these three items on top of the list, we had a great time evaluating all the different pieces of art. We, the examiners cannot see the faces of the artists. We learned that this time a lot of veteran potters and young artists participated. We hope that in the future a lot of young artists not only from Arita and Hizen but from all around Japan and the world may participate and grow in this traditional ceramics exhibition so that the Arita International Ceramics Competition may be succeeded and become an even livelier event.
116th Arita International Ceramics Competition - Judges
| Name | Affiliation | Remarks |
| Satoko Kosaka | Head of the Saga University Faculty of Art and Regional Design | Born in Tokyo. Keio University Philosophy Division and Aesthetics and Science of Arts Division Alumni. University of Sydney School of Literature and Art Master Course Alumni. Previously employed at the Bridgestone Museum, the Keio University Arts Center and Nagasaki International University. She has published papers on [Dark Tourism], [Japan`s Modern Museums] and so on. |
| Toshihiro Takahashi | Chief Editor at Discover Japan Inc. |
Born in Okayama. Entered EI Publishing in 1998. After publishing various books on topics such as [Houses to live in], [Real Design], [Scandinavian Style] and so on, he launched the magazine [Discover Japan] in 2008 focussing on the rediscovery of Japan`s charm. Besides his function as Chief Editor he also works as a consultant for the METI and the MAFF. |
| Morihiro Miyazaki |
MIYAZAKI CO.,LTD. Chief Representative Director |
CEO at MIYAZAKI CO. LTD. Presented the M.STYLE Brand in March 2001, expanding overseas in 2004. The products reach from tableware, cutlery to trays and placemats. |
▲View of the examination at the Industrial Ceramic Arts Division (Saga Prefecture Ceramic Manufacturers Cooperative)
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