Oribe Peaks

Iga ware artist Fukushima Kazuhiro explores new ground in this Oribe piece with a two-peaked form. Existing as an objet d’art, Fukushima crafted this piece with the intention of creating something that feels pleasant just to have by one’s side.

This piece contrasts a rough, textural surface with the sculptural rim, as if a slice of earth had been carefully carved away. It harmonizes with the landscape of clay, interrupting without being abrupt, adding a geometrical aspect to a piece that otherwise seems to flow organically. The faceted surface deepens this sense of movement, creating a dynamic form that reveals new scenery with every repeated look.

Four types of layered glaze run and nestle in the textured ridges, rough clay revealed beside glossy rivulets to suggest the way organic forces of life act upon a landscape. Blue glaze settles softly in the interior, like looking into a mountain pool. Small pinholes known as ishihaze appear where stones within the clay body have risen to the surface, celebrating rather than hiding the expressiveness of the material itself.

The result is a vessel at the precipice of the avant-garde, one that goes beyond conventional ideas. While grounded in the materials and techniques of Iga ware, Fukushima thus creates something that invites new inquiries into purpose and artistic expression.

Fukushima Kazuhiro

Born as the eighth-generation successor of the Mukai Kiln, which has thrived in Iga for over three centuries, Fukushima Kazuhiro creates ceramic works that combine the profound presence of earth with the translucent beauty of vidro glaze and the distinctive, crackled kairagi texture. While deeply rooted in tradition, his work embraces a contemporary sensibility, transforming the seemingly accidental patterns formed by fire, clay, and ash into deliberate expressions of artistry. Through this process, Fukushima opens new horizons for Iga ware, infusing each piece with striking individuality and life.

Iga Ware

Iga ware, produced in the Iga region of Mie Prefecture, is celebrated for its deep roots in Japanese ceramic history and its distinctive character. With a lineage stretching back some 1,200 years, Iga ware rose to prominence during the Momoyama period (1573–1615 CE), when it became closely tied to the aesthetics of the tea ceremony.

As a form of traditional Japanese pottery, Iga ware is admired for its robust clay, earthy texture, and the organic beauty that emerges through various firing methods. The natural ash glazing and translucent green, glass-like vidro effects created by the intense heat of the kiln reveal the expressive artistry that defines Iga ware.