Hori Ichirō

  • Exhibitions

  • biography

    Hori Ichirô built the anagama kiln in his mountain village of Mino, where he creates masterful pieces in the white and gray shino ware traditions. His creamy thick shino glaze is often crazed, creating a beautiful deep reddish tone beneath the white base. Hori also excels at the rather difficult ash-glazed kiseto ware, which is best described as a pale yellow color on a rough textured surface.

    "Sometimes I think myself a coward, living like a hermit in a mountain village. Other than firing works twice a year, I remain lost in thought. This is not because I am overly preoccupied with designing each piece but rather, because I need extra time to reflect in order to allow each piece to emerge naturally. Nature is my reality." Translated from exhibition catalogue Kuroda Tôen, 2000

    1952 Born to potting family, in Gifu Prefecture
    1971 Graduated from the design program of Tajimi High Scholl of Technology
    Studied under a leading Mino ceramist, Katô Kôzô
    Entered competitions-- Tôkai Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Japan Traditional
    Crafts Exhibition (Nihon dentô kogei), Asahi Ceramic Exhibition and the Chûnichi
    International Ceramic Exhibition
    1984 Built his anagama kiln in Mizunami city, Gifu
    Ceased showing in national competitions
    Started exhibiting in solo gallery shows
    1997 Moved his workshop to Ôkusa, Gifu, and established a new kiln


    Awards:

    Governor's Award, Asahi Ceramic Exhibition

    Solo exhibitions:

    2000 Hankyû Gallery, Osaka
    Kuroda Tôen, Tokyo
    2002 Kuroda Tôen, Tokyo
    2005 Gallery Shoh, Osaka
    "Black Seto ware exhibition" at Kuroda Tôen, Tokyo

    Group exhibitions:

    Entry to Chûnichi International Ceramic Exhibition
    Entry to Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition
    Entry to Gifu Prefecture Art Exhibition
    Work exhibited and published in: Wege zur Japanischen Keramik: Tradition in der Gegenwart, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst zu Berlin, 2005.

    Reference:

    The Contemporary Potters and Works in Japan, vol. 2 Central Division (Tokyo: Shogakkan, 1996), pp. 190-191

  • Hori Ichirō 堀 一郎

    Hori Ichirō 堀 一郎

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  • Hori biography pt 1

    Hori biography pt 1

    Born 1952, Mizunami City, Gifu, Japan

    HORI ICHIRŌ is known primarily for his dynamic wood-fired vessels and extremely fine, white and gray shino and seto teabowls. He uses long, low-heat firings to allow the clay’s deep-reddish tone to emerge through the thick, creamy glazes. Aside from shino and seto-ware, Hori excels at the difficult ash-glazed kiseto-ware, a pale yellow color applied to a roughly textured surface. In 1984 he built his own anagama kiln in the mountains of Mizunami City, where he continues to experiment with traditional materials and techniques, producing pieces of great complexity and variety. In 1997, he moved his workshop to Ōkusa and established a new compound with both climbing and tunnel kilns. Hori fires his kilns just twice a year, creating forms that emerge after long periods of contemplation.

  • pull quote

    “Sometimes I think myself a coward, living like a hermit in a mountain village. Other than firing works twice a year, I remain lost in thought. This is not because I am overly preoccupied with designing each piece but rather, because I need extra time to reflect in order to allow each piece to emerge naturally. Nature is my reality.”

    HORI ICHIRŌ

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