Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan in Singapore, Dialogue Gallery and Ikebana International Singapore Chapter 135 proudly present Elegance in Clay and Flora: Japanese Ceramics and Singaporean Ikebana Expressions. This is a group exhibition featuring the works of four contemporary Japanese ceramic artists alongside the floral designs of Ikebana International Singapore's flower artists.

The exhibition will continue to be displayed from 13 August to 1 September 2024 at 7879 Gallery and Clayworks (105 Desker Road, #01-01, Singapore 209627).

In this unique exhibition which presents Japanese ceramic art together with Singapore ikebana, we aim to highlight the unique beauty of each art form and the new aesthetic value created by their fusion. We hope this exhibition will foster cultural exchange not only between Japan and Singapore but also with audiences from neighboring countries.

The exhibition will feature approximately 80 pieces from the four ceramic artists and 10 beautiful ikebana arrangements created by ikebana Singapore artists from traditional Japanese ikebana schools using Japanese vases.

The four ceramic artists — Mari Yoshimura, Seito Tamura, Mizuho Takeda, and Miki Kato — utilise traditional techniques known for their exceptional craftsmanship while incorporating modern interpretations. Visitors will be able to appreciate the highly sophisticated designs and intricate techniques that represent contemporary Japanese ceramics.

Mari Yoshimura, was born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1988. She graduated from Ishikawa Prefectural Kutani Ware Institute in 2012. She apprenticed under Buzan Fukushima, a prominent artist specializing in Kutani's detailed hand painting (Saibyo), for five years and completed her training at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo in 2015. Yoshimura specializes in detailed hand painting using very thin paintbrushes.

She has received several awards, including the Mayor of Kanazawa City Prize at the Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden's Tea Ceremony Exhibition in 2012, and the President of Hokuriku Broadcasting Award at the 71st Kanazawa City Crafts Exhibition in 2015.

Born in 1980 in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Seito Tamura graduated from the International College of the University of Tsukuba in 2004 and apprenticed under the third-generation master of Kutani fine brush calligraphy, Keisei Tamura.

She completed her training at the Ishikawa Prefectural Kutani-ware Technical Training Institute in 2007 and established her studio in Komatsu City in 2010.

About Kutani Fine Brush Calligraphy: This technique involves using an extremely fine brush to create detailed calligraphy on porcelain, primarily for classical literature such as Waka poetry. It developed independently in the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture and has been passed down through the Tamura family for over a century.

Born in Tokyo in 1988, Mizuho Takeda graduated from the Department of Crafts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2013 and earned a master’s degree in ceramics in 2015. She started her kiln in Kanazawa in 2017. Takeda creates bluish-white and white porcelain, characterized by delicate color tones and textures.

She has won several awards, including the Ataka Award in 2012 and the Oimatsu Award at the Itami International Craft Exhibition in 2016.

Born in 1980 in Kobe, Japan, Miki Kato graduated from the Ceramic Arts Course at Saga College of Art and Design and studied traditional techniques at Kyoto Prefectural Technical School of Pottery. In 2006, she began her career as a potter while working at a Kiyomizu ware kiln, and in 2016, she started working independently from her home studio in Kyoto. Kato specializes in a technique called "Icchin."

Dialogue Gallery deals in works by young and mid-career Japanese ceramic artists, focused on introducing Japanese ceramic art to the rest of the world and aiming to serve as a gateway for international audiences.

The works Dialogue Gallery introduces display the aesthetic values of Japanese art, including simplicity, naturalness, rusticity, decorativeness, and so forth. These values are seen in Japanese art throughout history.

Ken Ushijima, Director of Dialogue Gallery, carefully curates and selects ceramic artworks created by prospective artists throughout Japan.

Ikebana International Singapore Chapter 135 is the local Chapter affiliated with Ikebana International — a worldwide, non-profit cultural organization headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, dedicated to promoting and cultivating interest in the Japanese Art of Floral Arrangement – Ikebana.

For further details about Ikebana International Singapore, please visit them on Facebook or email: ikebanasc135@gmail.com

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Getting to Japan Creative Centre
4 Nassim Road Singapore 258372
Tel: +65-6737-0434

By Public Bus:
Bus services: 7, 36, 77, 105, 106, 111, 123, 132, 174, 174E, 502, 502A, 502B (Alight in front of Delfi Orchard)
For latest information on bus routes and fares, please refer to SBS Transit.

By the MRT:
You may also take the MRT to the nearest MRT station, Orchard (NS22).
Train fares, travel times and route maps are available on the SMRT website.

Driving to JCC:
Nearest parking is at Orchard Hotel, Delfi Orchard and Orchard Rendezvous Hotel.