Naoto Ishii石井直人

We are pleased to present a solo exhibition by ceramic artist Naoto Ishii.

For me, Ishii’s pottery is one of the most elusive but captivating phenomena. Drawn to its mystery, I have spent years nurturing the idea of this exhibition.

Nestled in the tranquil foothills of Kyotamba northwestern of Kyoto stands an old thatched-roof house, alongside a climbing kiln that evokes the image of a mother’s womb. In this site named as Dokkatouyu (独華陶邑), Ishii creates a wide range of works, from everyday tableware and earthenware pots to kiln-altered jars, tea bowls, and both abstract and figurative objects. They are  fired in the climbing kiln only once a year.

Regardless of whether it has a use or not, these works are the result of a long-standing exchange of energy with this land. I feel the phenomena of earth and fire, combined with the artist’s own spirituality, are vividly expressed as vibrations in each vessel.

The term Kuro-Hibiki (玄韻) carries profound meaning.Kuro (玄) is not merely black—it points to the depths of the world and the fundamental truths of the universe. Hibiki (韻) derives from a remark by a musician who once sensed sound emanating from Ishii’s works. This concept is expressed in the contemplative landscape of kiln-formed changes created by ashes falling in the kiln, as well as in his works that are full of life like living creatures.

“There is a moment when something seems to fall away through the continuous act of crafting tools like vessels ”—this is what he speaks of.

What he pursues is a realm beyond mere technique, form, or the reproduction of classical traditions. Perhaps his true aim is to witness the very moment when genuine “art,” not just a crafted object, emerges.

This exhibition will feature over 300 works, spanning from past creations to recent pieces, displayed across two venues: the main house of kankakari and a newly renovated barn.

We hope you’ll enjoy vessels that bring the joy of everyday use and works that evoke a deep sense of spirituality.

1980 Graduated from Hiroshima University, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences

1992 Acquired undeveloped land in Kyotamba, Kyoto, and began cultivation

1994 Built a climbing kiln, relocated an old house, and held the first firing

石井さんの作陶は、私にとって最も捉え難く、心惹かれる現象の一つであり、その神秘に迫りたく数年越しで本展の企画を温めてきました。

幽寂に包まれた京丹波の山麓、そこに建つ古い茅葺の民家と母胎を思わせる大きな登り窯。

「独華陶邑」という名の空間で氏が手掛けるのは、日常の器や土鍋、窯変の壺や茶盌、抽象•具象の造形物など多岐に渡り、すべては年に一度しか焚かないという登り窯にて焼成されます。

それらは用の有無に関係なく、長年に渡るその土地とのエネルギー交感の賜物であり、土と火の現象と氏の精神性が、固有の振動として生き生きと器胎に映し出されているように感じるのです。

「玄韻」（くろひびき）における「玄」は単なる黒にあらず、世界の深淵や宇宙の根源にある真理を指し示し、「韻」は或る音楽家が氏のやきものから音を感じると語ったことに由来します。

それは、窯内でしんしんと灰が降り積もり生まれる「窯変」による瞑想的景色と重なる一方、まるで「いきもの」であるかのような生命感に満ちた器にも通じているように思います。

「道具を作り続けることで何かが抜け落ちるような瞬間がある」と語る氏が追い続けるのは、技巧や形、古典をなぞることを超えたその先の領域で、作り物ではない真の「芸術」の現れるその瞬間に立ち会うことではないでしょうか。

本展では、過去作から近作まで300点以上の作品を、kankakari 母屋と納屋の二会場にて展示致します。

氏の器を日常的につかう喜びとともに、深い精神性を讃える作品を感じて頂けましたら幸いです。

1980  広島大学総合科学部卒業1981-83  広島県山縣郡河内町小板にて農耕生活1984-87  伊賀「土楽陶苑」にて修行1992  京都・京丹波町に原野を取得　開墾を始める1993  同地に「独華陶邑」「懐玄軒」を建設1994  登り窯を築く　古民家移築　初窯焼成1994~  各地のギャラリーにて作品を発表