Between Silence and Passion. Surrendering to the 'White Flow' like 'Floating Clouds and Flowing Water'

In our daily lives, there are moments when we suddenly want to pause. It might be because the color of the sky is surprisingly beautiful, or the sound of the wind is soothing. And then, there are times when we encounter a 'stillness' created by human hands.

The other day, I touched the works of Takao Tahara, who continues to create pottery in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and I was enveloped in exactly that feeling. While rooted in the over 400-year tradition of Hagi ware, there is a fresh breeze blowing through his work.

Tahara-san says,

“Hagi ware never interferes with what is already there.”

While maintaining its own individuality, it suits any object or space without disrupting the atmosphere. No matter what it is paired with, it can bring out the best in both.

“Quiet, strong, and unspoken. Yet, when you hold it in your hands, for some reason, your heart becomes calm.”
This evokes the charm of 'Jade,' a stone that represents Japan.

Today, I would like to write about such beautiful vessels and the heart that creates them.

■ 'White' that reflects the memories of the forest

What could be called the hallmark of Tahara-san's work is a unique expression called 'Ryuhakuyu' (flowing white glaze).

When I first saw those vessels, I felt 'water.' The white flowing across the surface of the vessel and the deep green lurking beneath it. It is as if a clear stream is flowing gently between moss-covered rocks.

I was surprised to read in the materials that this color was born from an 'accumulation of coincidences.' He found pottery shards left behind by potters of the past at an old kiln site near his workshop, and was struck by the beautiful flow of the glaze on them.

The thought that fragments made by someone hundreds of years ago resonated with the sensibilities of Tahara-san, who lives in the present day, to create a new 'white' makes my heart warm, as if an incredibly long span of time is trapped within the vessel I hold in my hands.

■ Like 'Floating Clouds and Flowing Water'

Being born into a family of prestigious potters may be a heavier burden than we can imagine. He says there was a time when he struggled, wondering, 'How should I express my own color?'

Tahara-san's motto is, 'Floating Clouds and Flowing Water.' Like clouds moving through the sky or water flowing along. It means not clinging to anything, but rather moving forward calmly, yet steadily, while following the natural course of things.

True to those words, there seems to be no forced effort in Mr. Tahara's work at all. There is earth, there is fire, and there is the human hand. Everything is in harmony, creating an appearance of simply "being there." The "white space" that we, living our busy daily lives, have begun to forget, was present there.

■ Wearing the Scenery

Another thing that captivated me was the series called "Tenkei (Scenery-Clad) Vessels" This was apparently inspired by the scaffolding and frameworks of construction sites.

The rugged steel frames and structures we usually see in the city. Through Mr. Tahara's eyes, they are captured as a kind of "scenery," fused with the soft earth of Hagi ware, and sublimated into art.

"Hard things" and "soft things." "Artificial things" and "natural things." Two things that should be contradictory are quietly holding hands within a single vessel. I cannot help but feel the creator's gentle gaze in that sense of balance.

■ Following the White Flow

"Hagi ware never interferes with what is already there," says Mr. Tahara. It gently accepts and enhances any dish or any space.

That is perhaps because Mr. Tahara himself, as the creator, does not go against the flow of the great river that is tradition, but rather floats his own bamboo boat and enjoys that flow.

Yamaguchi Prefecture is home to an artist with such wonderful sensibilities. If you ever happen to encounter Takao Tahara's vessels somewhere, please do try to feel that "white flow."

Surely, a quiet and pure breeze will blow through your heart.

Next time, I will explore the relationship between Hagi and jade.