From the first moment of viewing, I was excited to see someone taking the techniques and qualities of Takatori beyond tradition, pushing the envelope on form and function into the 21st century. Here a gothic sculpture by Sueyoshi Hiromitsu, the sculpted ribs allowing the traditional ash glaze a veritable playground to flow across. Takatori is famous for this flowing ash, and here the thin walled form show it off to magnificent affect. The vase is 40 cm (16 inches) tall and comes in the original signed wooden box titled simply Takatori Yaki Hana-ire.
Sueyoshi Hiromitsu was born in Fukuoka prefecture on the Southern Island of Kyushu in 1960. In 1980 he entered apprenticeship under Kumagae Yasuyoki (b. 1940), and became a member of the Nihon Kogei-kai Crafts Society. In 1986 he moved to study under Kaneko Mitomu in Saga prefecture, and his work was accepted into the West Japan Crafts Exhibition. The following year he established his own studio and kiln specializing in Takatori. He has consistently exhibited with the Kogeikai Craft Society, focusing on their Jiyu-sakuhin or Free-From-Limitations category.
