What's On

A busshi is traditionally defined as a craftsperson who specializes in the creation and restoration of Buddhist statues, or as a sculptor who creates statues that serve as objects of Buddhist devotion. Yet the role of the busshi extends beyond that of a mere artisan, encompassing profound connections to both faith and art.
This exhibition presents the busshi as a figure standing at the intersection of three identities: believer, craftsperson, and artist. Centered on the question, “Why carve Buddhist images today?”, it focuses on the work of three contemporary busshi. Through the enduring tradition of Buddhist sculpture, which has continued for more than a millennium, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on what people pray for today and what they consider meaningful and valuable.

Artists: Eba Rinkan, Katoh Gizan, and Matsuhisa Seihou

Dates: Wed. October 28–Mon. November 2
Gallery Talk: Saturday, October 31, from 3pm

　

Sayaka Shingu creates ceramic sculptures inspired by flowers and plants, featuring densely clustered, needle-like stamens and delicately undulating petals. Rendered in monochrome, these works possess a mysterious and sensual beauty, evoking a sense of movement and life. Embedded within each piece is the artist’s profound reverence for the forms and presence of the natural world.

Artist: Shingu Sayaka
Dates: Wed. November 4–Mon. November 9

　

For 450 years, the Raku family has preserved and carried forward its tradition through an unbroken succession from father to son.
In 2019, Raku Jikinyū relinquished his position as head of the family and assumed the name by which he is known today.
He subsequently moved his studio to a mountain village in northern Kyoto, where he has continued his pursuit of ceramic creation.
Now, on the auspicious occasion of his Kiju, the celebration of his seventy-seventh year, this commemorative exhibition is being held here in Kyoto, his home.
Inspired by the numbers 77—7 + 10 + 7 = 24—, the exhibition presents twenty-four newly created red tea bowls.
Each of these works was formed from three rare types of clay that Jikinyū had sought out over many years for future generations of the Raku family.
The bowls were then fired by his son, the current head of the family, the 16th-generation Raku Kichizaemon.
These exceptional works are, in the truest sense, a collaboration between father and son, and are particularly fitting for this celebratory occasion.
We invite you to contemplate this austere and profound realm of creation—one that ultimately lies beyond the reach of words.

Dates: Wed. November 11–Mon. November 16