swanceramics.com » Japan

Sakura in Kyoto

swanica — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:46:59 +0000

I am back in the US after 51/2 weeks in Japan.

I had a great exhibition. A lot of friends and people came all interested in my Kamakura-Red ceramic art. I had some good talks. Also, the Mashiko charity display got quite some attention and had some good results in donations for the Sankokan.(Read about it in the previous posting).

The weekend before I left we attended a wedding of a daughter of a very good Japanese friend in Kyoto. Minako-san and Niki-san looked gorgeous and the whole event was for me a wonderful first time Japanese wedding experience.

After the wedding we went into the garden of the Heian Shrine, which was open during the evening because of the 300 “Sakura” Cherry blossom lit up trees accompanied by cello music. It was really relaxing to walk around. Then a classical guitar concert started in the tea house situated in the middle of the pond. Just all very perfect. Enjoy the little movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOHN5TTCr4c

This path is called “The Philosopher’s walk” and is like 2 miles long aligned with Sakura trees. Just phenomenal!

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Mashiko donation display

swanica — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:05:49 +0000

Mashiko is still in a difficult situation because of the earthquake. A lot of the noborigamas, anagamas and other kilns are still broken and also the “Sankokan”, Reference Museum of Hamada Shoji, a National Living Treasure of Mashiko who made Mashiko famous, is in big disrepair. The customers can make donations by putting money in the pot or by buying cups donated by the grandson of Hamada Shoji, Hamada Tomoo and Matsuzaki Ken and Baba Yuchiko. This is my donation display in my Kamakura-Red “Sakura” exhibition.

The Kamakura-Red Sakura Exhibition

swanica — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:14:53 +0000

Today, my Kamakura-Red “Sakura” exhibition opened. It was a good day. Some people came in to browse, others to talk and some other ones who bought some work. They are always amazed by this red color. And some think it is the Kamakura Bori wood art. And then of course the communication is sometimes hand and foot work because of the language. It can be frustrating but we also laugh a lot. Then I have some artworks from some famous Mashiko potters: Hamada Tomoo, Matsuzaki Ken and Baba Yuchiko. The money of the sale of their cups will be a donation for the Reference Museum, the Sankokan which is in big disrepair because of the earthquake and of course just donations can be given. Please, enjoy the movie I took today from my show: http://youtu.be/XbedWBfxLQ4

Return to Mashiko

swanica — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:53:13 +0000

Finally, I made it back to Mashiko. It was wonderful to see the rebuilt kilns from Matsuzaki Ken-san’s Anagama http://youtu.be/2lDZDtb1KEM plus Noborigama
http://youtu.be/DiGyWzCUmu8

and Hamada Tomoo-san’s Noborigama http://youtu.be/kUlcquYxWkQ and Salt Kiln
http://youtu.be/TngMuz6ljkQ.

So, things are getting better in Mashiko, but it is still very difficult for all the people to survive. Some Japanese tourists are coming and buying pottery, but the foreign tourists stay away. Please, donate to Mashiko for further rebuilding of this beautiful, historical pottery town.

Matsuzaki-san, Hamada-san and Yuchiko Baba-san donated cups to my “Sakura” exhibition for next week in Kamakura where customers can buy the cups as donation or give donations for the “Sankokan”, the Reference Museum of Hamada Shoji which still needs to be repaired from the damage of the earthquake.

I stayed at the Minshuku of Furuki-san from the Tao Art Clay Center while I was in Mashiko: http://youtu.be/vSl5J9Tgg8o He did a wonderful job renovating and rebuilding the whole Minshuku.
The next video shows the progress he made in repairing his wood fire kiln site of anagamas:
http://youtu.be/5AdbErcf9Mc.

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SAKURA Exhibition March 29 – April 3, 2012

swanica — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:57:49 +0000

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Mashiko Exhibition in the Netherlands 2

swanica — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:01:32 +0000

Last week I was in Holland. It was wonderful to be with my family especially after such a long time.
On Friday December the 9th I went to the Opening reception of the Japanese Exhibition of 15 Mashiko potters at the Tiendschuur Museum in the city Tegelen. It was organized to help Mashiko, to give them recognition in the world and a way to sell their work outside of Mashiko. The city was devastated after the earthquake of March 11, 2011.

I made some movies:
- http://youtu.be/FkhGZV_EPwc About the exhibition.
- http://youtu.be/_F4vxCZ_DNQ About the historical surroundings of the show.

- http://www.flickr.com/photos/swanica/sets/72157628372545471/ A slideshow of the exhibition and the surroundings.

Tegelen is a village in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. It was an independent municipality until 2001, when it was merged into the municipality of Venlo.
The name of the glacial era of Tiglian (part of the Pleistocene) is derived from Tegelen because of the many fossils found there from this era in the local clay.
During excavations in Tegelen Roman pottery and tile ovens were found. The Sint-Martinus church is mentioned in diocesan and monasterial archives dating back to the year 800. Because of its strategic location, various castles and reinforced farms were soon established. The most important of these were the Castle of Holtmühle (with the barn Tiendschuur) and the Munt. During the Middle Ages, there were several battles in and around Tegelen, because of its proximity to the walled city of Venlo.
Early in the 19th century Tegelen developed into a regional centre of industry. At first, tile and pottery factories were established, and later that century, metallurgy and tobacco factories. After 1900 agriculture was added to the mix. Pottery and related industries were very successful in Tegelen from 1750 until World War II. They specialized mainly in the low fire red earthenware with a lead glaze. The pots were decorated with slips in many colors and engraved.

The centuries old expertise in ceramics and pottery is kept alive by courses held in the ceramic center of Tiendschuur.

Mashiko Exhibition in the Netherlands 1

swanica — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:41:46 +0000

On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by a significant earthquake.
The world-famous pottery village, Mashiko, about 90km northeast from Tokyo was also heavily hit and the potters’ houses, kilns, workshops and their works were severely damaged. Mashiko has a 10,000 year old pottery tradition, in this highly regarded pottery village in Japan.
Ceramics Center Tiendschuur Museum in the Netherlands is 75 years and treats its visitors on an exhibition of ceramics of 15 potters from this village from a country par excellence: Japan!
The Tiendschuur shows the finest ceramics in the world and supports its creators.
The proceeds from these exhibition sales go to the potters in Mashiko and the Mashiko pottery fund.

This Saturday I will go to Holland to be at the opening of the Exhibition of 15 Mashiko Potters in the Tiendschuur Ceramics Museum in Tegelen in the Netherlands. Through the hard work of quite some people it was made possible. But money is still very much needed. Please, find it in your heart to donate to this fund to save the village of Mashiko. I know it is not an easy time for everybody and it is present giving time. Please, see what you can do and look at the information for donations on the bank info picture.

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Koyasan and losing my hair

swanica — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:00:40 +0000

This week, I would have had an exposition during the “Happymaker” Festival at Koyasan, a sacred center of the Shingon Buddhism. Mount Koya is a 900 meter high plateau surrounded by eight peaks. The eight peaks are thought to represent the eight petals of a lotus in bloom, which is suggestive of the core of a mandala with its eight deities arrayed on the eight petals of a lotus, and with the central Buddha at the center of the lotus. Kobo Daishi or Kukai build a monastic complex on this mount in the year 816 . It is a Beautiful Dragon painting at the Nanin Temple in Koyasan wonderful spiritual retreat environment within forests and quite cool during summer!

“Happymaker” was started to bring people together with special interests in the art and bringing this art in all kind of representations, into the local community to be enjoyed and experienced by young and old: “making everybody Happy”! I had an exhibition during this festival in 2009. Look in my archives for the Month of July, 2009.

I wish all the organizers and artists a wonderful exhibition and time together and I hope to join again next time. I miss it, but I am there in spirit.

I start losing my hair now. I know of course, this was going to happen and actually, I don’t really care so much. I have easy hair: short, a little wavy, just wash it and comb it and it looks fine. But still, it is a shock when you just can pull at your hair and it comes out with a hand full. I don’t have the courage yet to shave it all off and to avoid a mess with all hair around. Perhaps, after tonight if really my whole pillow will be full. Well, I am ready for it with my scarfs and hats and a wig!! Or just nothing if I can get use to it!

Thankful

swanica — Fri, 13 May 2011 23:00:23 +0000

Two days ago at around this time 3pm I came out of surgery: a lumpectomy. The first thing I did was moving my arm to feel if it was bandaged and it was not! I am so happy about this and thankful, because this means that the cancer hasn’t spread to other lymph nodes. The day before the surgery they had injected my breast with a radioactive fluid which moved into my lymph nodes. In the morning they had inserted a wire in my breast under ultrasound guidance to find the mass, because it was not a lump. So, all kinds
The Zaimokuza beach of Kamakura, Japan.

of methods to help the surgeon with the removal of the mass. During the operation they checked some lymph nodes and would they have seen cancer cells, then they would have taken out more. Next Monday and Thursday they will have the results and we will know more about the treatment. I stayed one night in the hospital. My heart rate was quite low. Now, I’m at home and Adriaan takes great care of me!

Saying goodbye to Japan for awhile

swanica — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:47:45 +0000

I am in the train again on my way to Narita airport to return to the US.
Today is a beautiful day and the sun woke me up this morning. We had a wonderful walk on the beach, where so many surfers had already entered the water. There was just enough wind to have some nice waves. We continued on to our favorite neighborhood temple, the Komiyoji, where they built a new wooden walkway towards the pond which is just gorgeous. It is so beautifully designed and precise and the wood smells so good.

Yesterday, I brought all my “Kamakura-Red” booklets to 3 Kamakura Bori Stores, the bookstore, a gallery and a museum in Kamakura. Some friends are helping me with supplying the stores.

On my way back, I rode my bicycle on the grounds of the Hachimangu Shrine. There were so many tourists; unfortunately, almost all Japanese. I stopped at the pond where the overhang is blooming with the Wisteria flowers. A group of young women were eating their home made lunch bento boxes; so cute, small, beautiful and prepared with care! And they were happy to smile for me for the picture.

I didn’t have time to glaze and fire my kiln, but every day was filled.
I met some friends and I received some wonderful gifts: a beautiful kimono with about a thousand cranes on it and one thousand origami cranes folded into ten strings of 100 cranes. Incredible! The crane represents health, happiness and good luck. Lots of friends encouraged me and wished me well. Thank you all very much.

So, now this is what I have to do! Get better!