Broad and quietly dramatic in form, this porcelain bowl by Nagakusa Yohei highlights the artist’s exploration of flowing glaze across an expansive interior surface enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ryūsai-ji Hachi (“Flowing Glaze Porcelain Bowl”). The vessel opens widely from a small foot, its gently rising walls culminating in a subtly articulated rim divided by rhythmic notches. Within the bowl, the glaze descends from a pale, luminous edge into progressively deeper tones of blue and indigo, gathering in a dark pool at the center. This gradual transition evokes the visual sensation of depth—like light fading as water deepens—while the softly fluted body beneath the glaze provides a quiet structural rhythm that guides the movement of color during firing. The delicately notched rim adds a subtle architectural cadence, framing the interior field of color while emphasizing the bowl’s circular expanse. Balancing disciplined porcelain craftsmanship with the fluid unpredictability of glaze, the work transforms a simple functional form into a meditation on depth, light, and motion. The bowl measures approximately 21 cm (8-1/4 inches) diameter, 7.7 cm (3 inches) tall, and is in excellent condition, acquired directly from the artist.
Nagakusa Yohei was born in Aichi prefecture in 1986. He studied Mechanical Engineering and design in University, and worked for several years in that field before turning to ceramics. He graduated from the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility in 2014, and was awarded that same year special prize at the Mino Ceramic Art Exhibition as well as being first accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition). He states “Glaze, light, and color are central themes in my work. For this exhibition, I have focused primarily on my ryūsai pieces, which I have been making for the longest time. In ryūsai, several types of fluid glazes are applied separately. During firing, the glazes flow and melt into one another, forming gradients of color. While I control the flow to a certain extent, the final result is entrusted to the firing process, and it is precisely this balance of difficulty and appeal that draws me to the technique. Another element I value deeply is form. I study time-honored shapes and continue to pursue forms that allow both beauty of proportion and the natural movement of glaze to be fully expressed”.
