KAWAI Kanjiro

Kawai Kanjiro was a Japanese ceramic artist and a central figure in the Mingei (folk craft) movement. Born in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, he studied ceramics at Tokyo Higher Technical School under the ceramic artist Itaya Hazan, before joining the Kyoto Ceramic Testing Institute in 1914. There, he conducted extensive research into glazes and Chinese ceramics alongside Hamada Shoji, a prominent and influential figure in Japanese ceramics. In 1920, Kawai established his own kiln at Gojozaka in Kyoto. His early work drew on Chinese and Korean ceramic traditions and was characterized by technically sophisticated forms and glazes. Following an encounter with the philosopher Yanagi Soetsu and the Korean ceramics he had collected, Kawai turned towards the principles of Mingei, seeking beauty in functional objects made for everyday use. He subsequently developed a distinctive approach, combining simple, robust forms with richly coloured glazes. His later work became increasingly free in form and extended beyond ceramics to include wood sculpture, calligraphy and poetry. Kawai exhibited throughout his career, beginning with the First Creative Ceramics Exhibition in 1921. He was closely associated with Yanagi Soetsu and Hamada Shoji in the development of the Mingei movement, and his work was exhibited internationally, receiving the Grand Prix at the 1937 Paris International Exposition and the 1957 Milan Triennale. He declined the Order of Culture and nominations as a Living National Treasure and member of the Japan Art Academy.