Hello everyone, how are you doing?
The other day, I visited the "Rian Bunko Art Museum Pottery Workshop," which is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of every month with Yoshinobu Morimoto as the instructor.
A student exhibition was also being held, featuring a wide variety of works, including Raku and Oribe ware.
Previously, Mr. Morimoto described this as a "study group designed to help students touch upon the essence of pottery," and upon visiting, I finally understood what he meant.
In a typical pottery class, there is either a monthly theme or free creation, and the students are the main characters who enjoy the pottery experience as customers.
However, I felt that this workshop focuses primarily on approaching the classics.
Following the themes set by Mr. Morimoto, students study masterworks of the classics, occasionally incorporating lectures and photo analysis to gain a deeper understanding of the techniques, thereby cultivating their aesthetic eye and understanding of pottery.
Staying true to Mr. Morimoto's oft-stated theme that "pottery is about input and output," the students were taking in various techniques and concepts from the classics and outputting them directly into their work.
"In creating pottery, self-expression can often become the main focus," he says.
"Instead, I believe it is important to first learn from the masters and deepen one's understanding of the essence of pottery."
True to his word that it is a study group, I felt this workshop was uniquely Mr. Morimoto's style, prioritizing the creative process over mere production.
I hope you will all join the workshop and enjoy this unique approach to pottery.
