MtK Contemporary Art is delighted to announce our upcoming group exhibition "Plain", featuring works by distinguished ceramic artists, starting on September 28th.

The show is curated by renowned Japanese ceramic artist Takuro Kuwata, whose work has been exhibited in major cities such as New York, Brussels, and London, along with other international venues. Kuwata’s unique approach combines traditional ceramic techniques with modern innovation, pushing the boundaries of the medium and earning him global acclaim.

This exhibition will showcase the creations of 6 ceramic artists from various generations: Tsubusa Kato, Tatsuya Kimura, Yoko Tanaka, Yuka Hayashi, Yuichi Murakami, and Kuwata.

Join us in Kyoto to experience these exceptional works firsthand.

People are brought into this world by chance, at a specific moment, and their lives begin the instant they open their eyes.

This simple truth raises one of the most profound and challenging questions in life.

It always has been, and always will be, a question that perhaps keeps people pure.

Artists from different generations and with diverse values, who encountered ceramics by chance, now express that purity through a shared language: ceramics.

I hope this exhibition evokes something within those who experience it.

Takuro Kuwata

Tsubusa Kato (b. 1962, Gifu, Japan) graduated from Tajimi City Design Institute in 1979. Established the kiln in Tajimi in 2013. That same year, Kato was honored with the 7th Enku Grand Prize and the Ceramic Society of Japan Award. Major exhibitions include "PUNK Craft - Salvation of the Soul" Rakuitei Art Museum Toyama (2016), "Form of Heart, Form of Life" The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu (2004),”100 Years of Contemporary Ceramics" Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Gifu (2002), "Faenza" Contemporary Ceramic Arts, Seoul (1999), "Rin: The Beauty of Contemporary Ceramic Art" Shiga Prefectural Ceramic Cultural Park, Shiga (1996), and "Young Standard Bearers of Contemporary Ceramics" Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, Aichi (1996).

Major collections include Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art Gifu, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

©Tsubusa Kato

Tatsuya Kimura (b. 1998, Aichi, Japan)  received a BA in ceramics from Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music in 2022. Major exhibitions include “Yama-chawan” Kogei Seika (Tokyo, 2024), “Jar” Kanazawa Mon (Kanazawa, 2024), “Jar” Utsuwaya Ryouichiishi (Tokyo, 2023),  and Hase (Nagoya, 2020-2021).

Yakishime Yamajawan ©Tatsuya Kimura

Takuro Kuwata (b. 1981, Hiroshima, Japan) graduated Ceramics Course of Department of Fine Arts from Kyoto Saga University of Arts Junior College in 2001. Studied for 5 years under ceramic artist Susumu Zaimitsu since 2002,  and later completed his studies at the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute in 2007.

Major exhibitions include “Equilibrium World: Japanese Art from Postwar to Today” Okura Shukokan (Tokyo, 2024), “Keiji Ito and His Artists” Raku Suitei Art Museum (Toyama, 2024), and “Pokemon x Crafts: Discovery of Beauty and Craftsmanship” National Crafts Museum (Ishikawa, 2024). Other notable exhibitions include “Teach us! The Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo: Collection and Exhibition Q&A” Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo (2023), “Romantic Progress” Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Gifu (2023), and “Fragments of Homo Faber: The Future of People and Craftsmanship” Museum of Ceramic Art, Aichi (2023). International exihitions include “Against Nature” MO.CO. Montpellier Contemporain (France, 2023), and “toucher terre” Fondation Villa Datris (L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, 2023). Major collections include 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Palm Springs Art Museum, University of Michigan Art Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Chawan ©Takuro Kuwata

Yoko Tanaka (b. 1981, Kanagawa, Japan)  received a BA from the Department of Environmental Design at Tama Art University in 2007. Started working for a ceramics manufacturer in Mizunami City in 2008, and later completed the Ceramics Lab Course at the Ceramic Design Institute in Tajimi City in 2011. Currently based in Toki City, Gifu. Tanaka received Mainichi Newspaper Award in 2019. Major exhibitions include "Romantic Progress," Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Gifu (2022), “Fragments of Homo Faber – The Future of People and Manufacturing," Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum (2022), “Ki no Kumo," Ki no Kumo, Shiga (2020-2021),” A Year of Mino Ceramics – 2017: Expressions of Six Female Ceramic Artists," Toshin Mino Ceramic Museum, Gifu (2018), “Mendori Exhibition," Contemporary Ceramics Kandori, Tokyo (2017), ”Gyarari Tsubochuten," Aichi (2015, 2017), “Yama Gallery," Mie (2016, 2020) Collection includes The Museum of Ceramic Art, Ibaraki.

silent ©Yoko Tanaka

Yuka Hayashi (b. 1971, Japan) graduated from Kansai University in 1994 then completed her studies at the Toki Municipal Ceramics Laboratory. Major exhibitions include Nihonbashi-Mitsukoshi (Tokyo, 2019, 2022), Osaka-Takashima-ya (Osaka, 2020, 2023), JR Nagoya Takashima-ya (Aichi, 2022), Kobe Hankyu,(Hyogo, 2020 , 2022, 2024） In 2019, Hayashi received the Hagi Grand Prize Exhibition V Award of Excellence. Major collections include Mino Ceramic Museum, Gifu, and Toshin Mino Ceramic Museum.

©Yuka Tanaka

Yuichi Murakami (b. 1982, Tokyo, Japan) had spent five years at Yamada Shinman Studio in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, since 2001. Then after completing his studies at the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute in 2009, Murakami established the studio in Toki City, Gifu in 2011. Murakami showcases works in around 12 solo exhibitions annually every year, mainly in Japan, Taiwan, and China.

Twist ©Yuichi Murakami