The experience of ceramic painting for Arita Yaki

AKADAMA JAPAN went to the exhibition of “ Kinshai Arita Mamezara Kikou”in Bunkamura Gallery in Shibuya.

Kinshai means “Welcome(irasshai) in a dialect in Saga prefecture .It sounds sweet.(other words= Mamezara: a small plate / Kikou:a travel story).

Arita is one of the most famous styles of Japanese Pottery, which has history of about 400 years! So,I used to think Arita Yaki had only a traditional and classy design, and that they must have been expensive. But in this exhibition, there were many kinds of stylish plates. Mamezara (small plates) with a diameter of around 6~10cm come in handy and are reasonable price.

Therefore, they are becoming a trend. I bought ones with patterns of a crane and a turtle. But,this was not a time of shopping, our mission was to join a workshop to try ceramic painting on a plate.

We sat at a table in the Gallery to try painting a picture under the guidance of a craftsperson who came from Arita.I started painting a picture on clear white porcelain using some colored dyes with a few types of paintbrushes. As soon as painting began, I noticed how difficult the paintbrush was to handle! Even painting a line was beyond my control….The craftsperson told me” Don’t worry about it, you can wipe out dyes if you make a mistake”. But! AKADAMA JAPAN has no artistic taste and was not skillful at all! I switched my mind, dismissed worldly thoughts, and focused on painting on plate desperately to complete it! The craftspeople cheered me up” You can do it!” “That’s OK”. It was just like a sports meeting of their children…..And I was finally finished. Our plates were send to Arita in Saga prefecture to be burned in the kiln.I really became aware of how great the craftsmanship is, of those who paint such sensitive and daring patterns on a small plate. It is no wonder that they must do training for a long time. I also think the power of concentration and physical strength is required.One month later, my finished plate arrived at my place.I would be happy if you smiled seeing our plates. AKADAMA JAPAN recommends you take part in some workshop to learn about Japanese traditional cultures. Our experience from here;株式会社西富陶磁器 EndFragment