Koinuma Michio, Tsuboshima Dohei, and Kawamoto Goro are three singular voices in Japanese ceramics, each celebrated for their technical virtuosity and expansive creative range. The three artists emerged during a time when the idea of a ceramicist was being challenged: by identifying themselves as individualistic artists, these three figures were part of a generation that elevated the object vessel category into high art in Japan.

By expanding expression through vessels, these artists also broadened the ceramic category in the latter half of the 20th century. This exhibition also features a catalog with two contributing essays by Japanese art scholars Kazuko Todate and Daniel McOwan alongside high-resolution images of the artists and their work.

What unites them is a distinct, shared spirit of innovation and an avant-garde sensibility grounded in a respect for time, history, and tradition. Both Koinuma Michio and Tsuboshima Dohei began their professional lives in the fields of finance and economics before turning to clay. Their ceramic works defy easy categorization. These are vessels that function as both sculptural forms and utilitarian objects, imbued with presence. Their sensitivity to material and form reflects an ongoing process of discovery shaped by a respect for historical precedent and Japanese craftsmanship.