Guinomi Ray III

Toru Ichikawa studied under Ryuichi Kakurezaki and made a striking debut of his own. This is a slightly earlier Guinomi by the artist, titled *Ray III*.

Characteristic of Ichikawa, who gives form to an endless stream of ideas through the extraordinary material of clay, this is an unconventional and highly original work filled with his distinctive imagination.

The piece is titled *Ray III* and incorporates a cosmological theme, using ceramics as a means of approaching the universal question, “Why do we live?”

The clay body has a vanilla-white tone with only the faintest hint of yellow. Over this, a transparent finishing glaze with an iridescent, nacre-like sheen has been poured across the surface, creating a fresh and harmonious composition in which the clean white color takes center stage.

Vivid sky-blue and orange glazes are then layered into the design, while gold and platinum decoration—familiar elements in Ichikawa’s work—provide the finishing accents. The result is a striking color scheme that combines a playful pop sensibility with a sense of luxury.

Inside the Guinomi, a pearl-white finishing glaze creates a soft and mellow expression, while drops of orange glaze add another playful accent, allowing one to fully enjoy the distinctive visual world of Toru Ichikawa.

Although this is an earlier work, it has never been used.