"Joan B. Mirviss Ltd is presenting "Fired by Tradition: Masterworks by Nishihata Tadashi" through July 29, featuring a completely fresh body of work by this Tanba master. Based in the riverside town of Tachikui in Hyogo Prefecture, home to the medieval ceramic center of Tanba, Tadashi (b 1948) works in the centuries-old traditions of his ancestors. As one of the six ancient kilns of Japan, Tanba has long been celebrated for its simple storage jars, vases and sake implements made from the local iron-rich clay and fired either unglazed or with natural and applied ash glazes.
Somewhat remotely located, about equidistant between Kyoto and Osaka, Tachikui has remained a lovely, tranquil spot surrounded by hills and populated with family-run ceramic studios. A master of the Tanba ceramic tradition, Tadashi is responsible for reinventing the ancient art of red akadobe glazing following decades of experimentation. It is his unique colorful ash glazing (hai-yu), however that is the focus of this exhibition.
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