Wada Tozan & Wada Hiroaki

Daikakuji Temple Exhibition Pictorial

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August 30th - September 9th

Daikakuji is just one of the dozens of temples located along Amagasaki City's picturesque Terramatchi Street. Built in 605 AD by decree of Prince Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi), it is easily distinguished by its glimmering roof of silver tiles. In March of 2005, a new chapter in the history of Daikakuji was written with the completion of a new wooden butai, or stage, which is used for classical Noh and Kabuki plays.

Taking advantage of a short reprieve in the butai's busy schedule, Wada Tozan and Wada Hiroaki literally took to the stage with a performance of their own - a joint exhibition. The venue couldn't have been more fitting. Lined along walls of aromatic cypress was a selection of pottery and porcelain from this 3rd and 4th generation of Kotoura Kiln ceramists.

The duality in the artistry of this father and son team was effectively portrayed in the arrangement of the pieces. On one side stood Wada Tozan's matsu-no-e mizusashi - an elegant porcelain fresh water jar with masterfully rendered enamel images of pine tress. Following in the Kyoyaki (Kyoto wares) style, works like this have been the mainstay for the family business for over a century. On the other side of the butai stood the younger Wada's haikaburi tsubo - a stunning wood-fired jar with pine ash buildup around the shoulders and purple vitrified streams. It afforded viewers a frozen glimpse of the fiery dynamics which take place within Oizumi-gama - the family's noborigama climbing kiln. Located far away in Yamanashi Prefecture (eastern Japan), the kiln is lit three times a year for intense one-week firings. The Oizumi pieces on display at this exhibition were, without doubt, the best the Wada duo have produced so far.

Pottery and porcelain are, by their nature, two distinctly different genres. What was clear to all who attended this special performance at Daikakuji Temple was how skillfully Wada Tozan and Wada Hiroaki can now shift between ceramic making roles.

Encore!