Chawan / Shino / Matsuzaki Ken
Shino Chawan by Matsuzaki Ken
I've been following Matsuzaki Ken's (1950- ) works for the past two decades. I've seen him do overglaze enamels, gosu, hakeme, Shino and Oribe, and now he is into deep ash-glaze wares. Matsuzaki is a Mashiko-based potter who graduated from the Fine Arts Ceramic Department at Tamagawa University in 1972. That same year he apprenticed with Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo, and that lasted for five years. He established his own kiln, Yu-Shin (Playful Spirit) in 1978. He has exhibited in New York and Boston, and is one of the best potters working out of Mashiko today. I've seen Matsuzaki challenging his craft with new forms and styles and not becoming complacent about his work whatsoever. That always makes it refreshing, for so many potters just rehash their successful styles over and over again. Here is a very non-Mashiko style, Shino. When Matsuzaki started to make this style he was shunned for a number of years by the Mashiko elite. His Shino has changed over the years with his research into ash-glazes. This chawan dates back about 10 years and has a fine soft Shino glaze and crosshatch designs; the inside is a rusty color that will match tea to a tee. (Sorry about that one). The form is cylindrical like a Setoguro form, and the feel in the hands is weighty with a 'tasty' kodai foot. Matsuzaki's work has gained worldwide attention--and popularity--in the last few years and he's had solo exhibitions in the US and the UK; works have been acquired by the Sackler Museum at Harvard, Boston Museum, Cleveland MOA, Peabody Essex, and the V&A, amongst others. This chawan is in perfect condition with a signed box, 10.5cm.tall and 11.3cm.wide, signed on base.
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