The Beauty of Legacy and Change: Connecting/Transcending

Speakers: Raku Jikinyu and Yamashita Yukako

The word “art” is derived from the Latin term ars, which originally meant skill or technique. Today, fields such as visual arts, crafts, and design are treated as distinct disciplines, yet they all share a common foundation in techniques and aesthetics developed by people throughout history. While examining how traditional techniques and ideas are preserved, developed, and interpreted from different perspectives in order to adapt them for the future, this talk will explore the aesthetics of “legacy and change” that underpin diverse elements shaping our surroundings and culture, from traditional through to innovative aspects.

Speakers:
Raku Jikinyu (Ceramic Artist)

Moderator: Yamashita Yukako (Program Director, Art Collaboration Kyoto)

Speaker’s Profiles
　

Raku Jikinyu

Born in 1949, Raku Jikinyū is the 15th generation of the Raku family, a ceramic dynasty with a 450-year tradition of producing tea ceramics. In 1990, he presented the groundbreaking exhibition Tenmon (Heavenly Questions), showcasing an avant-garde style characterised by bold, sculptural carving techniques. In 2007, he designed the architecture and tea room of the Raku Kichizaemon Pavilion at the Sagawa Art Museum in Shiga Prefecture, earning numerous architectural awards.

In recent years, Raku Jikinyū has produced tea bowls in collaboration with avant-garde works from which he drew inspiration. He unveiled a new series of tea bowls titled White Rock and Black Rock in two consecutive exhibitions in London—the first featuring works inspired by the avant-garde art of Kasimir Malevich, and the second by modern composers Alban Berg and Toru Takemitsu. These pieces transcend traditional tea ware, embodying a new realm of artistic expression. His creations continue to evolve and transform.

Yamashita Yukako

Born in Tokyo in 1988 to a family that runs a tea ceremony utensils business in Kyoto. Completed an MA in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. After an internship at Sotheby’s London, she joined Sotheby’s Japan, where she oversaw the sales of contemporary art. From 2017 to 2022, she was the managing director of THE CLUB.
She has been a visiting professor at Kyoto University of Arts since 2020. She was appointed Program Director of Art Collaboration Kyoto and Kyoto City Growth Strategy Promotion Advisor in 2022.

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