Toru Ichikawa
1973 Born in Tokyo
2011 Studied under ceramic artist Ryuichi Kakurezaki
2015 Independent in Tamano, Okayama
2016 Selected for the Gendai Chayu Exhibition, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
2017 Dedicated Kuro-tenmoku teacup for Kamikamo Shrine Shikinen Sengu Project
2018 Solo exhibition at Art Fair Tokyo 2018
Hot, blood-red. Stylish, metallic black, gold and silver. A "roar of freedom" echoes from their overwhelming presence. Toru Ichikawa has liberated Bizen Pottery from its conventional conception to the modern world with its intense and dynamic beauty.
He has been aware of the inconvenience of his work since childhood, and his desire for freedom has led him to break away from formality and tradition, and to create techniques and expressions that no one has ever attempted before.
By looking at the tension between life and death, he has acquired a free soul.
At the same time, he is inspired by the correlation and circulation of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) from the ancient East, and expresses himself freely and uniquely, unrestrained by anything.
Pottery in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan The clay used as the base of the work is from Bizen ware (Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture), which has the longest history among the "Six Old Kilns of Japan".
2016 Honorable Mention, Gendai Chayu Exhibition, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
2017 Dedicated Kuro-tenmoku Chawan, Kamikamo Shrine Shikinen Sengu Project
2018 Solo exhibition at Art Fair Tokyo 2018