Contemporary Bizen: Izesaki Jun & Izesaki Koichiro

Contemporary Bizen ISEZAKI JUN & ISEZAKI KOICHIRO

Contemporary Bizen: Isezaki Jun & Isezaki Koichiro November 14 - December 5, 2020

Lucy Lacoste Gallery 25 Main St. Concord, MA 01742 LucyLacoste.com info@lucylacoste.com

2 Lucy Lacoste Gallery is honored to present the historic exhibition, CONTEMPORARY BIZEN: ISEZAKI JUN AND ISEZAKI KOICIHIRO, a two-person show with Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun and his trailblazing son Isezaki Koichiro, November 14 – December 5, 2020. This dynamic father and son have never before shown together.

While the exhibition could be an overview on the 800 year tradition of Bizen pottery, it is really a personal view of two individual artists, living and working separately in their family compound and the unique, expressive work they each make. Both show respect to Bizen by using the local clays and the traditional firing techniques. Each has chosen to evolve as an artist, continually expressing themselves in new and different ways. They are clearly different from each other—with Isezaki Jun taking great inspiration from nature and Isezaki Koichiro expressing his conceptual thoughts sculpturally.

The Isezaki family lives in a secluded compound that includes housing for both artists and their families, individual studios and multiple kilns. One of these kilns was an ancient climbing kiln that was brought back to life by Isezaki Jun’s father, Isezaki Yozan, (1902 -1961) one of the early great Bizen sculptors of the 20th century.

Isezaki Jun (b. 1936) was made Living Natural Treasure of Bizen in 2004 and is considered one of the foremost masters of Bizen. After graduation from Okayama University in 1959 he became a potter making his career in Japan and abroad and traveling frequently. He has fostered many apprentices, including the renown Kakureazaki Ryuichi and generously taught men as well as women, which was unusual for the time. Today he is still firing the long anagama rebuilt with his father in 1961 and rebuilt several times since. His work includes bold examples in the Bizen style, works of sculpture and avant-garde hand-built pieces with unique details of form. According to Isezaki Jun, the true meaning of tradition is continued renewal “creating something new that represents the present and tradition in equal measure.”

3 Isezaki Koichiro (b. 1974) did not plan to be a potter as a youth. Surrounded by books of sculpture in his home, he chose to go to art school at Tokyo Zokei University, graduating in 1996 with a degree in sculpture and a focus on wood. One day, thinking about how material effects the work and the artist’s mind, he said “what about clay”. He made a conscious decision to become a ceramic artist, realizing he could do everything he wanted to do with clay. He then apprenticed with the American potter Jeff Shapiro who had been mentored by his father. The work he makes contains freedom and is motivated as much by his inner thoughts as the material.

This exhibition is an exceptional opportunity to see Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun and Isezaki Koichiro exhibiting together. This has not happened before, nor is it likely to happen again. To highlight the exhibition and exemplify our mission of education we are very happy to host the Isezakis, along with Jeff Shapiro and translator Christopher Field, in an intimate Virtual Roundtable Discussion with studio and kiln tour.

– Lucy Lacoste

Photo Credit: George Bouret Creative Director: Zoe Rose

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ISEZAKI JUN

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Jun Isezaki Fu-setsu (Wind and Snow) Stoneware 19.29h x 11.02w x 6.69d in

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Jun Isezaki Man-nen (Ten Thousand Years) Stoneware 17.13h x 7.48w x 5.91d in

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Jun Isezaki Black Rectangular Vase Stoneware 10.63h x 4.06w x 4.06d in

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Jun Isezaki Black Round Platter with Rice Straw Stoneware 21.46h x 21.46w x 2.56d in

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Jun Isezaki Jar, Furrowed with Rice Straw Stoneware 12.80h x 11.42w x 11.42d in

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Jun Isezaki Rectangular Vase, Ash & Moons Stoneware 20.47h x 9.25w x 7.48d in

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Jun Isezaki Long Regular Platter, Rice Straw Stoneware 11.81h x 25w x 3.46d in

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Jun Isezaki Vase, Patterned Ash and Slip Stoneware 9.84h x 6.30w x 6.30d in

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Jun Isezaki Vase with Holes Stoneware 12.60h x 5.12w x 4.33d in

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Jun Isezaki Bird Stoneware 6.89h x 6.50w x 4.33d in

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Jun Isezaki Incense Burner, 2 part box 6.50h x 7.28w x 3.74d in

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ISEZAKI KOICHIRO

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Koichiro Isezaki Yo, 2020 Stoneware 16.93h x 12.20w x 12.20d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Yo, 2020 Stoneware 9.06h x 12.68w x 10.24d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Yo, 2020 Stoneware 12.99h x 10.43w x 10.16d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Yo, 2020 Stoneware 12.01h x 12.60w x 11.42d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Pulse, 2020 Stoneware 12.28h x 6.18w x 5.28d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Pulse, 2020 Stoneware 11.81h x 6.38w x 5.31d in

Koichiro Isezaki Pulse, 2020 Stoneware 10.71h x 4.92w x 4.13d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Stout Ridge Jar, 2020 Stoneware 13.78h x 21.65w x 21.65d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Vessel, 2020 Stoneware 5.63h x 9.21w x 5.28d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Vessel, 2020 Stoneware 4.88h x 7.60w x 4.72d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Black Ridged Jar, 2020 Stoneware 8.27h x 14.57w x 14.57d in

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TEABOWLS + SAKECUPS

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Jun Isezaki Black and Tan Faceted Tea Bowl 3.74h x 4.72w x 4.72d in

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Jun Isezaki Tea Bowl with Rice Straw Stoneware 3.94h x 4.53w x 4.53d in

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Jun Isezaki Black Tea Bowl 3.74h x 5.12w x 5.12d in

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Jun Isezaki Sake Cup, White Spots, Ash Drips Stoneware 2.95h x 2.76w x 2.76d in

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Jun Isezaki Sake Cup with Ash Stoneware 2.95h x 2.76w x 2.76d in

Jun Isezaki Sake Cup, Rice Straw Stoneware 2.76h x 2.76w x 2.76d in

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Koichiro Isezaki White Tea Bowl, 2020 Stoneware 3.74h x 5.83w x 5.83d in

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Koichiro Isezaki White Tea Bowl, 2020 Stoneware 3.94h x 5.43w x 5.43d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Black Tea Bowl, 2020 Stoneware 4.02h x 5.79w x 5.39d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Black Tea Bowl, 2020 Stoneware 3.27h x 6.10w x 6.10d in

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Koichiro Isezaki White Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 1.97h x 3.50w x 3.50d in

Koichiro Isezaki White Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 2.28h x 3.58w x 3.58d in

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Koichiro Isezaki White Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 2.13h x 3.43w x 3.43d in

Koichiro Isezaki Black Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 2.28h x 3.23w x 3.23d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Black Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 2.20h x 3.31w x 3.31d in

Koichiro Isezaki Black Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 2.28h x 3.54w x 3.54d in

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Koichiro Isezaki Sake Cup, 2020 Stoneware 2.68h x 3.15w x 3.15d in

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ISEZAKI JUN

Born 1936 Okayama, Japan EDUCATION 1962 With his brother, Mitsuru, fired an ancient Heran anagama kiln which had been reconstructed by their father, Yozan, on the ruins of a Muromachi period kiln site 1966 Joined Japan Art Crafts Association 1967 Traveled to Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain 1974 Created ceramics mural for Bizen City Hall 1975 Jeff Shapiro and Peter Callas come to learn about the anagama kiln 1977 Travels to the USA and visits Ikeda Matsuo 1981 Awarded the Kaneshige Toyo Prize 1982 Kakurezaki Ryuichi 1987 Receives the Award of Excellence at Tanaka Art Museum’s Forms of Chanoyu Exhibition 1987-1992 Creates stone sculpture and ceramic murals 1996 Receives Sanyo Newspaper’s Cultural Merit Award 2004 Designated Living National Treasure in Japan SELECT EXHIBITION HISTORY 1962 First solo exhibition: Matsuya Gallery, Tokyo-Ginza 1972 First solo exhibition: Isetan Department Store, Tokyo-Shinjuku Exhibitions at Isetan Department Store continued yearly until 1993 1973 First solo exhibition at Hankyu Department Store Exhibitions continued biannually at Hankyu until 1998 1984 Twenty-five Years as a Potter, Tenmanya, Okayama 1997 Traditional Beauty of Bizen Pottery for 1000 Years Exhibition, Musée National de Céramique, Paris, France 2003 Solo exhibition: Seibu Department Store, Tokyo-Ikeburkuro 2006 Generational Crossroads: Bizen Connection Lacoste Gallery, Concord MA 2006 Beauty of Japanese Ceramics for 100 Years’ Exhibition, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Japan 2007 Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan, British Museum, London, UK 2008 Solo exhibition, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany 2014 Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C., US 2014-2018 Asia Week, New York, US | SOFA Chicago, Illinois, US 2020 Contemporary Bizen: Isezaki Jun & Isezaki Koichiro, Lucy Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA SELECT PUBLIC COLLECTIONS British Museum, London, UK Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, US Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, Okayama, Japan Musée de Sérvres, Sévres, France Canterbury Museum, New Zealand

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ISEZAKI KOICHIRO Born 1974 Bizen, Japan EDUCATION 1996

B.A., Sculpture Program, Tokyo Zokei University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1998-2000 Apprenticeship to Jeff Shapiro 2008 Symposium “Teabowls – Presentness Seen in their Form and Design”, Tijimi City, Japan 2010 Eight works exhibited at “About the Tea Ceremony - A Viewpoint on Contemporary Kogei” Exhibition held at the Crafts Gallery, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 2010 Art gallery in Mitsukoshi Department Store 2011 Panelist at “A Study of Contemporary Ceramics for the Tea Ceremony” Symposium.

Selected to the Paramita Museum Ceramic Art Grand Prize Exhibition 2013 Art gallery in Mitsukoshi Department Store 2013 City hall of Faenza, Italy with workshop 2014 Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, England 2016 Art gallery in Mitsukoshi Department Store 2019 Traveling exhibition “Bizen: From Earth and Fire, Exquisite Forms” Crafts Gallery, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan 2019 Exhibition of Koichiro Isezaki- Naru”, Art Gallery, 6F Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, Tokyo, Japan 2020 Solo exhibition “The Breath of Clay” at Ippodo Gallery, New York, NY, US 2020 Two-person exhibition “Contemporary Bizen: Isezaki Jun & Isezaki Koichiro” at Lucy Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA, US LACOSTE GALLERY EXHIBITIONS 2016 Koichiro Isezaki: Material and Serendipity, June 11 – July 9 2016 Contemporary Sake Ware Group Exhibition, April 9 – May 7 2013 Koichiro Isezaki, First USA Solo Exhibition, March 20 – April 14th 2012 Teabowls and Sake Cups: A Kindred Spirit, May 5 – May 31st 2011 Elusive Teabowl, March 12 – April 3 2006 Generational Crossroads: Bizen Connection, April 1 – April 23 Jun Isezaki, Jeff Shapiro, Ryuichi Kakurezaki, Tim Rowan, Koichiro Isezaki 2006, 2011

SOFA NY

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