Kansai Noguchi
UNDECORATED meets Kansai Noguchi with whole & uRn. will be held from Saturday, January 22nd. This time, we interviewed Kansai Noguchi, one of the participating creators and a ceramist.
――First, please tell us about how you met Kono, the designer of UNDECORATED. Were you already acquainted?
Kansai: We had a mutual friend, and that's how we connected. It was about six years ago, I think, when Kono-san came to my first exhibition with that friend. We talked about a lot of things there, and I sympathized with UNDECORATED's commitment to craftsmanship using carefully selected materials. From then on, I started thinking that I'd like to do something together someday.
Kono: Actually, I felt the same way. While ceramics and clothing are completely different genres, even back then, I vaguely thought, "I'd like to cross over and propose something new." However, I didn't have any good ideas, so it didn't happen immediately. I wanted to make it something truly meaningful, so it took about three years for the first event to come to fruition.
Kansai: The previous event was also triggered by COVID-19, or rather, because of the impact of COVID-19, I started to focus on the home.
Kono: When I started creating the homewear collection that launched two years ago, Kansai-san's face came to mind. Both ceramics and homewear create the same context of "things to enjoy in an indoor setting," so the previous event was held with the theme of "home."
Thanks to everyone who attended, it was a great success. From then on, I thought, "It's a shame for it to end as a one-off, and I want to upgrade it and do it again," and that's how the second event was decided.
――So you had a mutual friend. Now, about what led you to start pottery. What was the catalyst for you to pursue ceramics?
Kansai: Originally, I wanted to be a musician, and I went to America when I was 30. There, I was confronted with reality, or rather, I personally experienced the high level of talent there. But I thought, "I want to return overseas someday as someone who is needed."
So, when I thought about what I could do as a Japanese person to return, pottery came to mind. I've always liked art, and I visited many art galleries in America. Within that, I somehow kept noticing vessels... I had never done pottery before then, but for some reason, I had an unfounded confidence. (laughs) After returning to Japan, I started attending pottery classes.
Kono: Perhaps it's because you had a strong awareness of overseas, but your work, Kansai-san, has a "re-imported feel" to it. While it has Japanese tradition, it also feels modern, and I really like that about it. That aspect overlaps with the modernity that I value in UNDECORATED.
――Kansai-san, in addition to ceramics, you also do printmaking and painting. What was the impetus for you to start those?
Kansai: When I exhibited my pottery in a gallery, the space felt a bit lonely and I wanted to display something, and that was the catalyst. Then I started printmaking, and naturally, I also wanted to draw.
When I actually tried printmaking, it felt similar to ceramics. But since I wasn't used to it, it's more difficult than ceramics. (laughs)
――What is the most important thing for you when creating ceramic works?
Kansai: It's "tension." The body is an intermediate stage, and I believe the beginning and end of a piece are most important. The only place where I can express my own atmosphere and breath is at the very edge, so I put a lot of effort into how I leave my mark. Sometimes it turns out exactly as I envision in one go, and other times I have to repeatedly make adjustments.
Kono: The word "tension" really resonates with me. Kansai-san's works have a very small, delicate base, and they look like they're about to fall over but don't. I think that's where they convey a modern atmosphere while also having a traditional Japanese feel.
Both fashion and ceramics can be said to be fields where artistic expressions and non-artistic things coexist. For example, there are ceramics for decoration and ceramics for daily use. In that context, what is the relationship between Kansai-san's work and art?
Kansai: I envision myself working right in the middle. The idea is that things that are used are also a form of art because they are beautiful. I think there haven't been many "middle ground" items like that until now. Overseas, there's a culture of "displaying vessels," while in Japan, it's "using vessels." I strongly wanted to spread the culture of "displaying vessels" in Japan as well.
――Finally, please tell us about your future aspirations, Kansai-san.
Kansai: Ultimately, it's to be active on the global stage. Even after returning to Japan, I've always had a strong desire to go overseas. If galleries are considered mainstream, I want to create an independent path. In fact, I'm slowly starting to get some traction in the US, and I'd like to focus my activities overseas in the future.
Next, we will interview Sadako Tsunakawa of "whole" and Buntaro Miyata of "uRn.chAi &TeA," who have also decided to participate in the event.
Profile
Ceramist Kansai Noguchi
He traveled to the United States in 2013 to study music, but returned in 2014 to pursue a career as an artist. Beginning with the "JOMON" series, inspired by ancient Greek and Jomon pottery, he uses a variety of glazes that he has researched independently to create new possibilities in ceramics and original, unseen works. In 2020, he began creating new works for the "MEHRGARH" series and also presented his first printmaking works at the "MEHRGARH Exhibition."
KANSAI NOGUCHI STUDIO
――First, please tell us about how you met Kono, the designer of UNDECORATED. Were you already acquainted?
Kansai: We had a mutual friend, and that's how we connected. It was about six years ago, I think, when Kono-san came to my first exhibition with that friend. We talked about a lot of things there, and I sympathized with UNDECORATED's commitment to craftsmanship using carefully selected materials. From then on, I started thinking that I'd like to do something together someday.
Kono: Actually, I felt the same way. While ceramics and clothing are completely different genres, even back then, I vaguely thought, "I'd like to cross over and propose something new." However, I didn't have any good ideas, so it didn't happen immediately. I wanted to make it something truly meaningful, so it took about three years for the first event to come to fruition.
Kansai: The previous event was also triggered by COVID-19, or rather, because of the impact of COVID-19, I started to focus on the home.
Kono: When I started creating the homewear collection that launched two years ago, Kansai-san's face came to mind. Both ceramics and homewear create the same context of "things to enjoy in an indoor setting," so the previous event was held with the theme of "home."
Thanks to everyone who attended, it was a great success. From then on, I thought, "It's a shame for it to end as a one-off, and I want to upgrade it and do it again," and that's how the second event was decided.
――So you had a mutual friend. Now, about what led you to start pottery. What was the catalyst for you to pursue ceramics?
Kansai: Originally, I wanted to be a musician, and I went to America when I was 30. There, I was confronted with reality, or rather, I personally experienced the high level of talent there. But I thought, "I want to return overseas someday as someone who is needed."
So, when I thought about what I could do as a Japanese person to return, pottery came to mind. I've always liked art, and I visited many art galleries in America. Within that, I somehow kept noticing vessels... I had never done pottery before then, but for some reason, I had an unfounded confidence. (laughs) After returning to Japan, I started attending pottery classes.
Kono: Perhaps it's because you had a strong awareness of overseas, but your work, Kansai-san, has a "re-imported feel" to it. While it has Japanese tradition, it also feels modern, and I really like that about it. That aspect overlaps with the modernity that I value in UNDECORATED.
――Kansai-san, in addition to ceramics, you also do printmaking and painting. What was the impetus for you to start those?
Kansai: When I exhibited my pottery in a gallery, the space felt a bit lonely and I wanted to display something, and that was the catalyst. Then I started printmaking, and naturally, I also wanted to draw.
When I actually tried printmaking, it felt similar to ceramics. But since I wasn't used to it, it's more difficult than ceramics. (laughs)
――What is the most important thing for you when creating ceramic works?
Kansai: It's "tension." The body is an intermediate stage, and I believe the beginning and end of a piece are most important. The only place where I can express my own atmosphere and breath is at the very edge, so I put a lot of effort into how I leave my mark. Sometimes it turns out exactly as I envision in one go, and other times I have to repeatedly make adjustments.
Kono: The word "tension" really resonates with me. Kansai-san's works have a very small, delicate base, and they look like they're about to fall over but don't. I think that's where they convey a modern atmosphere while also having a traditional Japanese feel.
Both fashion and ceramics can be said to be fields where artistic expressions and non-artistic things coexist. For example, there are ceramics for decoration and ceramics for daily use. In that context, what is the relationship between Kansai-san's work and art?
Kansai: I envision myself working right in the middle. The idea is that things that are used are also a form of art because they are beautiful. I think there haven't been many "middle ground" items like that until now. Overseas, there's a culture of "displaying vessels," while in Japan, it's "using vessels." I strongly wanted to spread the culture of "displaying vessels" in Japan as well.
――Finally, please tell us about your future aspirations, Kansai-san.
Kansai: Ultimately, it's to be active on the global stage. Even after returning to Japan, I've always had a strong desire to go overseas. If galleries are considered mainstream, I want to create an independent path. In fact, I'm slowly starting to get some traction in the US, and I'd like to focus my activities overseas in the future.
Next, we will interview Sadako Tsunakawa of "whole" and Buntaro Miyata of "uRn.chAi &TeA," who have also decided to participate in the event.
Profile
Ceramist Kansai Noguchi
He traveled to the United States in 2013 to study music, but returned in 2014 to pursue a career as an artist. Beginning with the "JOMON" series, inspired by ancient Greek and Jomon pottery, he uses a variety of glazes that he has researched independently to create new possibilities in ceramics and original, unseen works. In 2020, he began creating new works for the "MEHRGARH" series and also presented his first printmaking works at the "MEHRGARH Exhibition."
KANSAI NOGUCHI STUDIO
