ISHIDA Kazuya Conical Rahō Vase

Description

Ishida Kazuya’s conical Rahō (螺法) vase reflects his engagement with the slipware technique, which he discovered during his time in England. Through this approach, he brings out the distinctive “flavour” of the dark Bizen clay with particular clarity.

The Rahō process is characterised by grooves created using a comb and the potter’s wheel. These enhance the colour contrast and give the vase a sense of movement.
The wood firing at over 1300°C left striking traces: a pale ash deposit on one side, like an explosion, and a dark koge mark on the other, like a whisper of charred fire.

The restrained, conical form draws attention to the technique itself and recalls geological structures in which movement appears frozen for eternity. At the same time, it makes the vase highly versatile — as a vessel, as a sculptural object, or, why not, as an improvised loudspeaker, as it functioned in our exhibition.

ISHIDA KAZUYA

Spirals and Waves: A Portrait of Nature in the Bizen Style

Ishida Kazuya comes from a family of potters in Bizen. Bizen is one of Japan’s most important ceramic regions and is renowned for its unglazed, high-fired pottery.

For four years, Ishida Kazuya studied under Isezaki Jun, Bizen’s current Living National Treasure. His experience in the United Kingdom, where he worked with slip and slipware techniques, has also had a strong influence on his work. Ishida Kazuya developed a distinctive interpretation of the Bizen style, which he calls Rahō (螺法). The name is derived from spiral-shaped shells.

Indeed, his creations are deeply inspired by nature. Ishida-san is fascinated by the dynamic forms and movements found in ancient rocks and spiralling seashells, and he seeks to capture these patterns in his work. Firing in a traditional noborigama or anagama kiln adds further layers of complexity to each piece through the effects of flame and the natural deposition of wood ash.