Hori Ichiro – Flattened vessel

Description

Born into a family of ceramists in Gifu, Hori Ichirō studied in his youth with the living national treasure, Katō Kōzō (b. 1935). In 1984, he built his own anagama (tunnel) kiln in the mountains of Mizunami City, where he continued to experiment with traditional materials and techniques, producing pieces of great complexity and variety. In 1997, he moved his studio to Ōkusa.

His uniqueness lies in his reclusive lifestyle. Voluntarily isolated from modern life, he lives in the den of his kiln, which he fires twice a year. He uses traditional, long, low-temperature firings to allow the deep reddish tones of the clay to emerge through the thick, creamy glazes.

Using all of Mino’s traditional styles as a foundation, Hori’s inner tension and strength emerge in clear, energetic forms, as in this piece, which has a mineral and marine feel, and whose restless surface is contradicted by its robust look.

Hori Ichirō’s work has been exhibited at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst in Berlin, among others. He is in the collections of several major museums in the United States, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Seattle Art Museum; the San Antonio Museum of Art; the Crocker Museum of Art, and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Presence in the permanent collections of museums

• Cincinnati Art Museum, USA
• Crocker Museum of Art, USA
• Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA
• San Antonio Museum of Art, USA
• Seattle Art Museum, USA
• Victoria & Albert Museum, Angleterre