Hanaire “Gensei” by Kato Reikichi

Japan, Seto, late 20th or early 21st century.

Ceramic flower vase, cylindrically shaped, slightly constricted in the center, covered with an irregular, deep, mottled blue glaze, characteristic of Kato Reikichi's Gensei series. The surface alternates between blue, black, and greyish areas, with textural effects that give the piece an almost mineral presence. The decoration is created by incisions, reliefs, and metallic applications. On the body of the vase, oblique and vertical registers structure the surface; touches of gold and silver punctuate the whole without making it heavy.

The piece is both a hanaire and a sculptural object. The volume remains simple, almost tubular, but the surface is active, worked, stratified. The incisions, rough parts, metallic traces, and blue passages create a tension between the rigor of the form and the freedom of the decoration. This opposition is very characteristic of Kato Reikichi, who has developed a body of work where the Seto tradition dialogues with contemporary research on metal, color, and texture.

Kato Reikichi, born in 1953, is the 22nd heir to the Sedo-gama, a Seto kiln whose family history dates back to the Keichō era. Trained in an environment of potters, he developed a personal body of work after studying at Tamagawa University, where he specialized in ceramics. Japanese notices highlight the importance of his work within the Nitten, where he received the Tokusen Prize twice and the Nitten Members' Prize. He has also been distinguished in exhibitions by the Nikkōkai, the Chunichi International Ceramic Exhibition, and the Asahi Ceramic Exhibition. His work has been invited several times to the Faenza International Ceramic Exhibition, placing his work in an international dialogue around contemporary ceramics.

His vocabulary is marked by the association of earth, color, and metal. A recent exhibition, Kōsai no michi — Kato Reikichi-ten, specifically emphasized this research, born in part from his interest in Klimt and developed through a fusion of ceramic and metal, which has become one of the signatures of his work. The presentation texts also recall the evolution of his work from forms more sculpted in clay to series with painted decoration, black, gold, silver, and Gensei.

A work by Kato Reikichi, Tōbako “Fūkō”, dated 2001, is preserved at the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, confirming the institutional recognition of his work in the Seto region.

The vase is preserved with its signed tomobako, bearing the inscription 幻青 / 花入, “hanaire Gensei”, and Kato Reikichi's signature. The artist's printed shiori is included.

Dimensions: height 19.5 cm; diameter approximately 10.5 × 9 cm.