Potter: Hisatoshi Iwata

Approximate size: W 6.5″ by H 6.0″ or 16.5 by 15.3 cm

This is a Japanese 20th century art glass vase by master glass-artist Hisatoshi Iwata (1925-1994). This beautiful hand-blown vase is based on wavy white inclusions through blue glass and further detailed with gold-foil. This work is titled Nami or Wave. Hisatoshi Iwata was born in Tokyo in 1925 and he died in 1994. He graduated from the prestigious Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1950. During his life he participated in all the major exhibitions in Japan. Now his works of art are part of the collections at the Corning Glass Museum and the Metropolitan amongst others around the world. One of thé names of glass in Japan. Awarded the prestigious Japan Art Academy Prize in 1982 for his work titled Seika.

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Glass was basically foreign to the Japanese, something that had no roots in indigenous culture. New glass in Japan was initially dominated by two artists: Hisatoshi Iwata and Kyohei Fujita. Hisatoshi Iwata (1925 – 1994), was born in Tokyo where he also passed away. He graduated from the prestigious Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1950.  Generally known as Iwata Kuri, he worked with his father Iwata Toshichi in the Iwata glass studio.

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Alongside fellow master Kyohei Fujita, Iwata dominated the post-war Japanese glass movement. He worked extensively out of the family’s studio, Iwata Glass, where he experimented with advanced glass-making methods. One famous technique consisted of trapping countless miniature air bubbles inside the glass matrix to create dramatic, stone-like organic textures. This was called the Bubble Glass Technique. His creations regularly utilised rich combinations of gold leaf accents, deep turquoise and contrasting black-and-white patterns. All in all, Iwata was a vital force behind the development of contemporary art glass exhibitions and trained the next generation of 20th-century Japanese studio artists.

Hisatoshi Iwata developed a distinctive style of his own whilst keeping in the Japanese tradition. He is revered in the Japanese glass world not just because of the breadth of his work and the impact he made artistically, but also because of his support and development of art glass exhibitions and education.  Many of Japan’s late 20th century and contemporary artists trained with him at Iwata. He participated in all the major exhibitions in Japan. His works of art are in the collection at the Corning Glass Museum in Massachusetts and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

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