A large and commanding tea bowl by Matoba Kazunori housed in the original wooden box signed by the artist, titled “Chawan Re/construct.” Matoba is rising contemporary ceramic artist based in Aichi. Having studied the foundations and philosophy of ceramics under the Living National Treasure Suzuki Osamu, Matoba carries forward the lineage of tradition while transforming it through his own highly original approach. He channels this vision into the archetypal form of the tea bowl, reimagining it with striking presence and conceptual depth. This bowl is monumental, in vivid color, an abstraction in tea bowl form. It is 15.5 x 11.2 cm (6 1/8 x 4 3/8 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Matoba describes his unique process as follows: In my work, I once break apart a formed vessel, apply different surfaces and textures to each fragment, fire them, and then reconnect the pieces to reconstruct the form. This process is not merely a technique, but a way of questioning the assumptions on which ceramic expression itself is built. Ceramics is bound by many constraints, including material, firing, function, and form. By breaking these constraints apart and assembling them again, I attempt to create new relationships within the form of the vessel.”
Born in Aichi in 1990, Matoba studied ceramics at Seto Ceramic High School and its advanced ceramics program. After graduation, he apprenticed for nine years under Suzuki Osamu, an Important Intangible Cultural Property holder. Since 2021, he has been working independently in Toyota City, Aichi. His practice reconstructs multiple cultural layers—Japanese tea culture, mingei, Zen thought, contemporary art, street culture, music, and animation—into a distinctive artistic language. In 2025, he gained wide attention through a collaboration between the globally renowned anime Evangelion and the matcha brand EAST GREEN MATCHA, creating a limited-edition tea bowl. He continues to exhibit across Japan, including at Toyota Gallery, SICF, and Asahido Main Gallery in Kyoto.
