Untitled - Tomonari Hashimoto Solo Exhibition
2022.03.08 - 2022.04.04
Exhibition Statement
Dust and haze are filled in the air when the fine buckwheat husks are being poured into the kiln. The glaze colour changes due to the flame and smoke during ignition, after removing the charred kiln bricks and buckwheat husks, a ceramic sculpture with cosmic brilliance that shines radiantly is revealed. This is the creative process of the famous Japanese artist Tomonari Hashimoto, and it is also his unique way of finding and presenting the essence of everything in the universe.
Tomonari Hashimoto was born in Wakayama. After completing his undergraduate degree of Fine Arts, he carried on and completed a master's degree and a PhD degree from Kanazawa University of Arts and Technology within five years. At the age of twenty-seven, in addition to completing all the academic milestones in one go, he has already made his mark in the ceramics industry ; won several domestic awards, artworks being collected by various internationally renowned museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. Hashimoto's dedicated research in ceramic creation, led him to enter the finalist of the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019. With his unique works, he was recognized as "an artist who can create extraordinary aesthetic values".
During the creative process, Tomonari Hashimoto coils the clay and then fires it three times , which is considered as the organic repetitive process. This is how he maintains his own discipline and faces the spirit within. In a modern society where consumerism pervades, Hashimoto hopes that his works will become a catalyst for everyone to stop and explore the essence of things, but to face their inner self through self observation.
Touch Ceramics is proud to showcase Tomonari Hashimoto's solo exhibition "Untitled - Tomonari Hashimoto Solo Exhibition", inviting everyone to experience the thousands of worlds presented by the artist and appreciate this sculpture that pursues the essence of clay.
Artist Statement
When I was young, I was obsessed with things like origami, plastic models, and aged buddha statues. The mundane activity in my childhood was to see my father making life-sized bronze and plaster sculptures. I was attracted to old and gigantic objects that were beyond my height, and I admire them in a certain way. I also like observing the plants and trees in the garden through the window, not to mention the landscape and mountains that proliferate in the background.
Recently, I have been particularly interested in architecture and Japanese gardens. Everything I experienced when I was young has enlightened and foregrounded my present creations.
I create art-works that primarily eliminate the superficial thoughts and personal feelings, which the final product could ultimately convey the enthusiasm within. I appreciate and admire the existence of an object as it is and I indeed cherish the space that it occupies.
About Tomonari Hashimoto
1990 Born in Wakayama, Japan
2017 Live and work in Shigaraki, Japan
EDUCATION
2017 Ph.D. in Fine Arts, Kanazawa College of Art Doctoral Course, Ceramic
2014 M.A. in Fine Arts, Kanazawa College of Art Master Course, Ceramic
2012 B.A. in Education, Kyoto University of Education, Department of Education school education teacher training course art domain specialty
AWARD
2019 Sankei Shimbun Award, Kyoto Art for Tomorrow-Selected Artists in Kyoto, the Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
2017 Purchase Award, KANABI Creative Award 2016, Kanazawa College of Art, Kanazawa, Japan
2016 Honorable Prize, Contemporary Ceramics Hagi Grand Award Ⅳ, Hagi Uragami Museum, Hagi, Japan
2015 2nd Prize, Contemporary Ceramic Competition of Kobe Biennale 2015, Kobe Biennale 2015, Kobe, Japan
2014 President Award(Incentive award), KANABI Creative Award 2013, Kanazawa College of Art, Kanazawa, Japan
2014 2nd Prize, 2014 Kyoten, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan
2013 Outstanding performance award, the 67th Wakayama Prefecture art exhibition, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Japan
COLLECTION
Victoria and Albert Museum / London, UK
Los Angeles County Museum of Art / Los Angeles, USA
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts / Kalamazoo, USA
LOEWE Foundation / Madrid, Spain
KOREA Ceramic Foundation / Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Park Hyatt Kyoto / Kyoto, Japan Hyatt Centric Kanazawa / Kanazawa, Japan
HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOT0 / Kyoto, Japan
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi / Tokyo, Japan
Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park / Shigaraki, Japan
Kanazawa College of Art / Kanazawa, Japan