The interplay of pattern and structure carries a distinct resonance on this vessel by Kako Katsumi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Haikakuto. Rising with a grounded, architectural presence, the form is defined by a faceted, columnar body whose planar sides converge toward an irregular, softly undulating rim. The silhouette retains a quiet stability, yet resists strict geometry—its edges subtly shifting, its verticality animated by slight deviations that register the hand within the structure. The surface is articulated through a bold, interlocking field of carved motifs, where iron-rich red and ash-toned pale clay move in dynamic counterpoint. These shapes—at once curvilinear and angular—repeat and interpenetrate across the planes, forming a continuous pattern that wraps the vessel without hierarchy or fixed orientation. The incised outlines give each form a defined edge, yet the texture within remains vigorously worked, creating a dense, tactile skin that absorbs and scatters light unevenly. Dating from this year, it is 21 x 21 x 36 cm (8-12 x 8-1/2 c 14-1/2 inches) and is in perfect condition.
Kako Katsumi was born in Kyoto in 1965, and graduated the ceramics department of Saga Art College in 1986. He was selected for the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition, the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition and the Kyoten held at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art in 1988, followed in 1989 by the National Ceramic Art Exhibition and Mino International Ceramics Exhibition. He has since exhibited and or been selected/ awarded many times at these prestigious events. He established his kiln in Nishiwaki City in 1991. In 1994 he worked in Melbourne. Australia, and would create a second kiln in 2001. In 2004 he would be awarded the Prize of Excellence at the Tanabe Museum of Art Modern Tea Forms exhibition. In 2005 he established his current kiln in Sasayama, Hyogo prefecture. In 2009 his work was featured at the Kikuchi Biennale Exhibition and the following year was awarded at the 4th Contemporary Tea Bowls Exhibition, and in 2011 was selected for the influential Paramita Ceramic Exhibition. 2013 saw him in New York, and 2014 at the Museum of Ceramic Art in Hyogo (Kobe). Held in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art among others.
