It all started with the sense of crisis that Japanese handcrafts would disappear. Mr. Kamide aimed to show the charms of Kutani ware to many people, without compromising its traditional elements. He arranged the flute player series in his own humorous style, and it won the hearts of young fans. This meant that he opened a new world for Kutani ware, which was in a difficult situation.
We wish that his passion for Kutani ware will reach you through our products.
KUTANI CHOEMON / Maker of fine porcelain ware for Japanese cuisine
The manufacturer of Kutani ware, Kutani Choemon, has a long history of about 140 years. In their products, you can feel the traditions of the past and the uniqueness of the new era of Kutani ware.
Kutani Choemon was founded in 1879 in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture. They’re proudly produces Japanese tableware, all lovingly handcrafted by master artisans and drawing upon East Asia’s rich porcelain heritage.
Generally, the work is done separately at each kiln, but they do it in one workshop where the entire process is integrated.
Using the deep and vivid indigo color and the five traditional colors of Kutani ware, their creations take you on a journey to the classical yet fresh and dynamic world of Kutani ware.
WORKS
They have collaborated with Spanish designer Jaime Hayon and created a skull-shaped candy jar in the collection of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. They continue to take on various challenges, creating unique pieces and pursuing new possibilities for Kutani ware.
KEIGO KAMIDE / The 6th generation of Kutani Choemon Kiln
Keigo Kamide was born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1981 and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2006 with a major in oil painting.
Since the same year, he has been the successor of the Chouemon Kiln, and has been involved in many projects, artworks, and designing together with the artisans.
In 2013, he established a limited liability company, Kamide Shigei, and began to engage in full-scale management of the kiln.
He aims to create universal and fresh expressions based on the history of porcelain, which began in the Orient, and to pass on Kutani ware to the present with flexible ideas that are not limited by tradition or boundaries.
WORKS
Some of his major works include “FUEFUKI”, which arranges traditional patterns, the “JAIME HAYON×KUTANI CHOEMON” series, which invited a Spanish designer, and “KUTANI SEAL”, which utilizes the transfer technology of Kutani Ware porcelain. As an individual, he also creates works using porcelain as a material and actively holds solo exhibitions.
