Kazuhiko Komekyu

1968 Born in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture

1990 Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, Department of Fine Arts (Oil Painting)

1992 Graduated from Ishikawa Kutani ware Technical Training Institute

1996 Opened Komekyu Kiln.

2001 Held solo exhibitions in various places from this year. 

A leading Kutani ware artist of the present day, characterized by his extremely detailed "akae line drawing" technique.

The technique that flourished during a short period in the history of Kutani ware from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period is called "Akae senbyo" or "Akae kinrande," and it is said that there are very few Kutani ware artists today who produce Akae senbyo because the technique is so precise that three more lines are added over a one-millimeter line.

Kazuhiko Komekyu, who inherited this technique, is highly regarded for his flexible sensibility, which he applies to traditional pottery styles such as vases, incense burners, and plates.  His Kutani ware works are characterized by its remarkably precise painting. 

 

Kutani ware is produced in Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region, where porcelain production is said to have begun around 1665 with the discovery of a ceramic stone in the village of Kutani.

Pottery production continued until around 1700, but there was a 100-year gap after that. In the late Edo period (1603-1867), Kutani ware experienced a revival, and various Kutani ware potters producing everyday items emerged, creating the foundation of Kutani ware that continues to the present day. Various potters and artists are pursuing their own unique expressions while carrying on the tradition. Kutani ware is one of Japan's most representative colored porcelains.