"Taizo Kuroda: White Porcelain," the first solo exhibition at a museum by internationally renowned ceramic artist Taizo Kuroda, whose works are included in the collections of major art museums both in Japan and abroad, will be held at the Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum in Shizuoka from January 12 to April 9, 2019.

White Porcelain Plum Blossom Vase, 2018
© Taizo Kuroda
Photo: Tadayuki Minamoto

Ceramic artist Taizo Kuroda's white porcelain is serene, blending seamlessly into the space, yet possessing a powerful and tense quality. In 1966, at the young age of 20, Kuroda traveled to Paris and had a fateful encounter with the ceramist Tatsuzo Shimaoka, who would later become a Living National Treasure. He began his ceramic career in Canada. After returning to Japan, Kuroda continued to work energetically using a variety of techniques. At age 45, however, he set himself three goals: wheel-throwing, vessels, and monochrome. He dedicated himself exclusively to the production of white porcelain. This exhibition marks Kuroda's first solo exhibition at a museum. His works are held in the collections of major museums both in Japan and overseas, including the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Nearly half a century after his first experience with the wheel, the exhibition explores the current state of his white porcelain through a variety of his latest works, including his signature cylindrical pieces, plum vases, flower vases, and pedestals.

In dialogue with the clay, the white porcelain is purified by eliminating individuality to the utmost extent, revealing a world of abstraction. Its beautiful features are too numerous to mention, such as the soft, taut form created by the rotation of the potter's wheel, the lustrous shadows on the surface that is polished after firing without the use of glaze, and the rim that is thinly carved into the air.

White Porcelain Vase, 2018
© Taizo Kuroda
Photo: Tadayuki Minamoto

An exhibition catalogue will be published during the exhibition, around late February. In addition to illustrations of the museum's exhibitions and the works on display, the exhibition also includes rare glimpses of the artist's studio, where he has been working in Izu for nearly 40 years.

In addition, every Saturday from 2:15 PM, a gallery talk will be held at the venue, where the curator will provide an overview of the exhibition and explain the works. No reservations are required; simply show up at the venue with your admission ticket for the day. The "Kuroda Taizo Exhibition" will also be held simultaneously at Utsuwa Sabo KEYAKI, located on the first floor of Japanese Restaurant Tessen, a Japanese restaurant surrounded by the greenery of zelkova trees on Clematis Hill. From January 12 to April 9, 2019, a different white porcelain piece will be on display at the Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum.

Enjoy the ultimate white porcelain by Kuroda, who has continued to explore the possibilities of tableware in Shizuoka.