Kanjiro Kawai exhibition opens at Seikado Bunko Art Museum

The Seikado Bunko Art Museum is hosting an exhibition titled ‘Mingei SHOCK!! — 60 Years Since the Death of Kanjiro Kawai’. The exhibition focuses on the works of Kanjiro Kawai, a central figure in the Mingei (folk crafts) movement.

The collection features 51 works by Kawai, primarily from the period between 1924 and 1937. The display highlights his diverse techniques, including ‘nagashi-gusuri’, ‘nagashi-egaki’, sea slug glaze, cinnabar, and celadon. The exhibition also places his work in context with historical ceramics from China, Korea, and Japan, illustrating how his style was influenced by and evolved from these traditions.

A notable highlight of the exhibition is the juxtaposition of the National Treasure ‘Yohen Tenmoku’ with Kawai’s own pieces, such as his ‘Yohen-tsubo’, which he personally named after the legendary glaze.