February 2025: Kato Takaya 40th Anniversary Ceramics Exhibition

Phantom Vessels, Reborn — Shino & Setoguro, 450 Years On

Exhibition Dates: Wednesday, February 19 – Sunday, February 23, 2025
Venue: Osaka Takashimaya, 6th Floor Art Gallery
Featured Works: Shino and Setoguro

Roughly 450 years ago, in the Mino region of Gifu, two extraordinary wares — Shino and Setoguro — burned bright for just thirty years, then vanished. Their quiet, imperfect beauty came to embody the Japanese spirit of wabi-sabi, earning a treasured place in the world of tea.

Now, marking forty years at the wheel, ceramic artist Kato Takaya brings these “phantom vessels” back to life — guided by the blessings of nature and the flames of the kiln. For this exhibition, select pieces carry titles: names that give voice to the scenery and feeling held within each vessel.

Selected Works

Shino Vase — “Flame Resonance” (En’in, 焔韻)
A vase that seems to hold the roaring flames of the kiln itself. Vivid fire color lends the whole form a living, breathing power, while milky white drifts across the surface like the flames’ gentle afterglow.

Shino Matcha Bowl — “Winter Dawn” (Tōgyō, 冬暁)
A winter sunrise, caught in clay. A soft pink glaze captures the instant the winter sky turns with the morning sun; gentle curves and delicate shading evoke a snowscape, warming the hand the moment you cradle it.

Setoguro Matcha Bowl — “Ink Blossom” (Bokka, 墨華)
Across the deep black oniita glaze, kairagi crazing spreads like ink blooming on paper. This texture emerges only when glaze, kiln temperature, and the precise moment of pulling from the fire align perfectly — the profound depth of Setoguro, woven by nature and the artist’s hand.

Special: “Couple’s Time” Set
Amid the rush of daily life, we hope you’ll savor quiet moments with the one beside you. Created for this exhibition only, the “Couple’s Time” set pairs two pieces to share. Limited to 3–4 sets (10–20% off), available only from the exhibited works.

A Message from the Artist
The warmth and softness of Shino and Setoguro begin with a rare clay: Mogusa, from the Tōnō region of Gifu. Over tens of thousands of years, rainwater seeped through granite, and nature slowly turned stone into this singular earth — a gift shaped by countless quiet changes.

Craft is often called “the beauty of use,” and I believe its true charm reveals itself slowly, through touch and time. Through these Shino and Setoguro pieces, I hope you’ll feel the warmth that only Mogusa clay can bring. In the moments when you wish to still your mind, may time spent with these vessels bring a quiet richness to your days. Each piece is made with that hope.