Profile
Ceramicist Keita Ichikawa brings his vision of fleeting natural scenery to your table: Raindrops, sky reflected in a puddle.
His lapis lazuli blue and transparent glaze look like tears and water, flowing from rolling hills then pooling at the bottom to form a lake. He has undergone a process of trial and error to embody the beauty of the ink-wash-like gradations and the glass-like craquelure.
Before his life as a potter, Ichikawa trained as a theatrical actor, which explains the expressive drama in his ceramic work. This is apparent in the seemingly contradictory series of works he has achieve in his lifetime.
He is particularly devoted to blending his own white clay with a unique texture. Drawing inspiration from the great outdoors, he continues to engage with the clay itself, which embodies the history of Hida. He has created works from clays sourced from his family's fields or excavated from the mountains of Hida.
Developing an expression on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, he makes other series by pit firing naked clay to create surfaces that can be uniquely achieved by contact and lack of contact with fire.
Furthermore, whilst the materials and techniques are set against a backdrop of dynamic nature, the refined forms are particularly striking with their streamlined silhouettes and comfortable fit in the hand.
- 1985 Born in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture
- 2017 Completed the Advanced Course at Gifu Prefectural Tajimi Technical High School
Studied at a pottery studio in Iga - 2019 Established an independent practice in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture
- 2021 Established studio in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture
- 2024 Solo exhibition at Oribe Shimokitazawa Store, Tokyo
Solo exhibition at IRODORI TABLE, Tokyo
Two-person exhibition at Matsuzakaya Nagoya Store gallery α, Aichi