Potter: Kei Wakao

Approximate size: W 3.3″ by H 1.3″ or 8.5 by 3.3 cm

This stellar tenmoku guinomi was made by the famous artist Kei Wakao. He was born in Gifu in 1967, first son to the legendary artist and potter Wakao Toshisada. Toshisada Wakao had a kiln in the town of Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture where Kei Wakao decided to study and so took up the family craft from a young age and later went on to conduct formal studies at university. After graduating he exhibited widely and continually strove to generate new and interesting clay forms. His talent for perfecting difficult and innovative glazes gained him some notoriety and, as a result, he has won a number of awards including first prize at the Kanazawa International Ceramics Festival in 1998 and the following year at the Shigaraki Ceramics Arts Exhibition. Today he is a well-known name in the world of Japanese ceramic arts, and has even gained a following overseas. His student Makoto Wakao is also well respected potter and works in his teachers style are highly esteemed. Work by these masters is not easy to acquire and I’m very pleased to provide a chance for someone to add his work to his or her collection. Read on to see an extensive summary of his illustrious career.

1967 Born in Tajimi City, Gifu, JAPAN
1993 Japan University art department photograph subject graduation
1995 Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center completion
1997 The 14th Japan Ceramic art exhibition
The 35th morning sun Ceramic art exhibition, excellent work prize
The 2nd Izushi porcelain Triennale 
1998 The 5th International ceramics exhibition Mino ’98 bronze medal
1999 20th century Exhibition of Ceramic Art Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park
2004 Solo exhibition Nagoya Matsuzakaya (’07. 10.13)
Solo exhibition at Gallery Kuroda Then, Tokyo (‘06.09. 10.12)
2008 Solo exhibition Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi (’11)
“Tokai Contemporary Ceramic Art Rising artist Exhibition by Up-and-coming Ceramic Artist Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum
Industrial artist Contemporary ceramics bowl exhibition of Mitsuo Masuda and 24 people (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Head Office)
CHATO – Presentation in modeling and design, Gallery VOICE, Tajimi
2010 The 5th Paramita Ceramics Awards Exhibition Grand Prize Paramita Museum, Mie prefecture
Perspective on Contemporary Crafts-Tea Ceremony, Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Crafts Museum
2011 Contemporary Ceramics Art Fair, Tokyo International Forum
The Present Situation of Ceramic Art Part VIII, Gallery VOICE, Tajimi
2012 Mino Ceramics Now 2012 Gifu Museum of Modern Ceramic Art
2014 Mainly on The Present Situation of Ceramic Art Form consisting of the clay – Ushida collection, Gallery VOICE, Tajimi
Celadon Now Exhibition (National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Industrial Arts Building, Hyogo Ceramic art Museum, Shizuoka City Museum of Art, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum Of Art, Urakami Memorial)
2015 East Asia tradition Ceramic art exhibition (KOCEF/ Korea)
2016 “PUNK”craft arts – Relief of soul (Rakusuitei/ Toyama)

Wakao Kei first exhibited at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition in 1997 and was awarded the rising star award. He has also exhibited and prized at the Tokai Dento Kogei ten, Kanazawa Togei Ten, Issui Kai Ten and Gendai Chato Ten (modern Tea Ceramics Exhibition). In addition to a long list of Private exhibitions both domestic and abroad. Works are also held in the public collection of the Hamilton Museum, Australia and gallery Voice in Tajimi, Japan.

Wakao Kei began working with tiles before entering the world of pottery. He established a kiln called Torakei-gama (kiln of the Tiger Valley), in the pottery center of Tajimi, in Gifu prefecture. His son Masahiro and his grandson Keisuke continue to produce Mino wares there.

This guinomi is in mint condition and there are no flaws to mention here. Comes with the original high quality shiho-san paulownia tomobako with kiln stamp and calligraphy on the lid plus a pamphlet about the potter.

€320 290 + shipping cost