Vase / Bizen / Isezaki Koichiro
Bizen Rectangular Vase by Isezaki Koichiro
Isezaki Koichiro (1974- ) is the first son of new Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, and is one of the up-and-coming stars of the Isezaki family. Isezaki Yozan, Koichiro's grandfather and the father of LNT Jun and Okayama Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property Mitsuru, was of the first generation of great Bizen potters in the 20th century, and was himself an Okayama Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property. Koichiro comes from a family with a storied history, but this does not seem to bog the creativity of this artist. He first studied at the Tokyo Sculptural University before embarking on an apprenticeship with New York-based potter Jeff Shapiro, a talented potter who had learned from Koichiro's father LNT Jun. First from Shapiro, Koichiro studied the workings of the anagama kiln, and also picked up the style of forms that he would take back with him back to Bizen. Koichiro's style, thus, is a conglomeration of Shapiro, Jun, and his father's famous apprentice Kakurezaki Ryuichi. However, Koichiro is a clever young artist, and takes all of his influences in stride without dwelling on any single person. First, please observe the powerful firings that he achieves from his father's kiln. Layers upon layers of goma (sesame ash) have accumulated on his vessels, and simply imagining the intensity of the fires that graced his works is breathtaking. His forms have a softness and naturalness that really speak tales of Koichiro himself, who is soft-spoken and gentle as well. He is currently exhibiting at Ginza Kuroda Toen as we speak, and will be interviewed by Wahei Aoyama in the following weeks. Koichiro, along with Yokoyama Naoki, represent the next generation of Bizen, and his works embody the modern forms of his teachers Jun and Shapiro. See the warm, soft lines of his works, along with the powerful firing and refined clay flavor, which are a trademark of the Isezaki clan. Koichiro is definitely a potter to watch. He has only just begun his career, and considering this fact, it is highly interesting to see how he develops through the close supervision of his mentors. Koichiro is under intense scrutiny today, as many are eager to see and own works of the next Isezaki star. We know that the pressure of legacies and of great potters will not bend him, however, as his personality is such that he will simply travel the path his curiousity leads him, rather than the eyes of the public. A skyscraper-esque tower vase, with simple ridges and cuts in a bold rectangular form. This vase is 27.5cm tall, 9cm wide, comes with a signed box and is in perfect condition.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
