Suzuki Kenji 鈴木健司, large sculptural celadon vase

Japan, 1970s-1980s
Stoneware with light celadon glaze. Original signed Tomobako.

Large glazed stoneware vase by Suzuki Kenji, with a full ovoid shape, almost like a drop, but broken by a flatter, irregular, and geometric side. This construction gives the vase a strong sculptural presence. Depending on the angle, the piece can be read as a round and enveloping volume or as a more architectural form, whose soft edges catch the light.

The light celadon glaze, slightly bluish, covers the surface with a fine and irregular texture. A few denser passages, including a darker vertical line, subtly animate the wall. The upper rim is particularly interesting: the lip is curved on one side, sharper and almost cutting on the other, which accentuates the constructed character of the form.

Suzuki Kenji, born February 25, 1930, in Kyoto, and died in 2010, belonged to a long lineage of ceramists. He learned ceramic techniques early on from his father, Suzuki Kiyoshi, and his brother Takuji. His family training was complemented by studies at the Kyoto University of Fine Arts, from which he graduated in 1957. During his studies, he was taught by Kondō Yūzō, Tomimoto Kenkichi, and Fujimoto Nōdō, before perfecting his skills as an apprentice to the sixth Kiyomizu Rokubei.

As early as 1958, he was selected for the Nitten, where he would subsequently receive regular distinctions. In 1960, he received the Kyoto Mayor's Award. In 1967, he won the Hokuto-shō award at the Nitten for his work White Orb. Between 1965 and 1971, he was an assistant professor to the seventh Kiyomizu Rokubei at the Kyoto University of Fine Arts. In 1976, he set up a new kiln in Yamashina, where he continued his research, particularly on metallic glazes.

From 1990 onwards, Suzuki Kenji became an authoritative figure in the world of Japanese ceramics, serving as a judge at the Nitten and a jury member for the Japan New Crafts exhibition. This recognition culminated in 2005 when he received the Cultural Merit Award from Kyoto Prefecture. His works are held in important collections, notably at the Kyoto Prefectural Museum and the Kyoto Municipal Museum.

The official biography attached to the vase mentions the Hokuto-shō award in 1967, followed by several subsequent exhibitions and distinctions without precise dating. This chronology, combined with the maturity of the form, justifies a broad dating in the 1970s-1980s.

Very good condition. Original signed Tomobako.

Dimensions: height 40 cm; width 35 cm; depth 33 cm.