Hagi Ware is a type of earthenware made in the Hagi region in Yamaguchi prefecture. Closely associated with the Japanese tea ceremony, the ware has long been admired by tea masters such as Sen no Rikyu, for its understated beauty and traditionalism ranked second only to the famous Raku Ware as tea ware. It is rarely decorated, and its simplicity of design is the result of making the most of the features of local Hagi clay. One of the most distinctive characteristics of Hagi Ware is the way it changes and improves over time. This is a process called “nanabake” (seven transformations), in which tea slowly colours the clay as it is absorbed through fine cracks in the glaze.

Gesson HAMANAKA, an award- winning master potter from Hagi and the owner of Oyagama kiln, will introduce traditional Hagi Ware and the process of its creation, giving us a look into his kiln and studio in this online talk event. Together with Dr Clare Pollard, Curator of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, he will also explore the ways in which he seeks to protect Hagi ceramic traditions and how his freedom of expression has been transformed in meeting the needs of contemporary society.

About the speakers

Gesson HAMANAKA
Born to a Hagi family, HAMANAKA studied Hagi Ware as a teenager under Yohika Taibi and established his Oya Kiln in 1969. Adopting his artistic name Gesson (Moon Village) he has produced highly acclaimed Hagi Ware, ranging from traditional tea bowls to plates. His works have been exhibited in Japan and internationally. He has collaborated with flower artist Daniel Ost on a number of occasions. In 2001, his kiln revived porcelain, incorporating it into his Hagi Ware repertoire, bringing a new aspect to his work.

Dr Clare Pollard is Curator of Japanese Art at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University’s museum of art and archaeology and Britain’s first public museum. The Ashmolean is home to an extensive collection of Japanese art, including ceramics, lacquer, paintings, prints, sword furniture and decorative arts of the Meiji era (1868-1912). Clare’s research has focused mainly on Meiji art, while in recent years she has developed a series of exhibitions and catalogues of the Ashmolean’s Japanese print collections.

This event is organised in collaboration with IndigoRose Project

To reserve your space,please book your ticket here