Collection: Ceramic

Ceramicist: Tani Q / 谷 穹

Born in Shiga Prefecture in 1977. His grandfather was Seiemon Tani. After graduating from Seian University of Art and Design with a bachelor's degree in sculpture, he joined the family business, Seiemon Ceramic Studio, in 2001 after receiving instruction in pottery from Juzo Kitamura. He describes the structure of his pottery as imperfection such as one finds in a tsubo, or Japanese pot. Tani Q continues to produce Shigaraki ware with its distinctive structure and unique appearance due to the natural ash glaze.

Tani Q: My Philosophy

In Japan, pottery has a philosophical component.

Speaking metaphorically, one's inward aesthetic sense is timeless and can somehow be "uploaded" to one's pottery. Therefore, when the code for this so-called upload becomes available to the potter, one's ceramic pieces can become something to be both comprehended and enjoyed without the need for language.

By going beyond the mundane and everyday in my ceramic expression, I can create pieces capable of capturing a moment in space; pieces that can transcend time. Therefore, for me, the pieces I create are both simultaneously here and not here.

Shigaraki in the modern age is something like music that doesn't require sound.