A playful set of six small plates by Ichikawa Tōru in festive colors enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled “Etsu – Shoku no Utsuwa” (Delight: Vessels for the Table). These show off the artist’s exuberant ceramic language in a delightful presentation intended for dining. Each circular dish is individually composed yet visually unified through a bold palette of white, pink, and metallic silverand gold flowing across a textured, crackled surface. Although each plate shares this vocabulary, their compositions vary subtly, giving the set a rhythmic diversity that invites arrangement across the table. The rims remain slightly irregular and softly rounded, preserving the hand-built quality of the clay and reinforcing Ichikawa’s preference for organic, tactile forms over strict geometric precision. Despite their sculptural surfaces, the plates remain practical serving vessels suited for small foods, condiments, or sweets, embodying the spirit of convivial dining suggested by the title. Each plate measures approximately 9.4 cm (about 3-3/4 inches) diameter, and together the six pieces form a vibrant ensemble that celebrates both the pleasures of food and the expressive possibilities of contemporary ceramic surface.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.
