Water Container

New York and London are the fashion and art hubs of the world.
I was always amazed at how the power of wood and lacquer could be felt in every country, and they conveyed to me a sense of admiration and respect for wood, or nature.
I spend a lot of time visiting art museums while I'm there, and traditional European design has a profound effect on my whole body.
Also, a significant number of the exhibits were "vases" from ancient civilizations, which gave me the sense that "water" is the source of life and a sense of spirituality.
Mizujar is a tea ceremony utensil, but if you think of it as a "jar," the possibilities open up.
I imagined what it would be like if my Zelkova work remained as a beautiful pot filled with water 1000 years from now.
Every day, I work on the potter's wheel, carving and sculpting the wood, facing the powerful life force of wood, and applying lacquer. I would like to continue to believe in and convey the potential and possibilities of wood and lacquer.

Jihei Murase

Now that the cold winter is over and the trees are beginning to sprout, an exhibition of works by Murase Jihei III will be held at Ginza Ippodo.
In his youth, he aspired to be a sculptor, and even now, when he creates something, he starts with a sketch.
They love wood, and their studio is surrounded by the scent of wood, and is beautifully arranged with machines, tools and wood all neatly arranged, befitting their outstanding skills as woodturners.
In a corner, he works like a blacksmith and even makes tools such as chisels and planes.
As the first, second and third generations of the school followed in the footsteps of Murase Jihei, they came into contact with cultural figures such as Rosanjin, Koyama Fujio, Matsunaga Jimian and Hayashiya Seizo, learning and studying under them, and have continued to do so to this day.
Murase's works are clean, gentle and elegant. His works are on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum and other museums, and together with Ippodo's overseas expansion, he is like a comrade who challenges himself, helps each other and moves forward.
This time, bowls by her daughter, Rei, will also be on display.
The salon on the third floor and Guan in the basement of Ginza Ippodo become the world of Murase Jihei, a sculptor and woodturner, filled with the scent of wood.

Keiko Aono