Zōgan vase-sculpture by Shingo Takeuchi

This hand-crafted vase-sculpture by Shingo Takeuchi is distinguished by its subtly undulating contemporary line, as if animated by a slight deliberate imbalance. Its silhouette seems to oscillate imperceptibly, between verticality and organic tension. Made of stoneware, from a mixture of Seto and Shigaraki clays chosen for their texture and richness in iron, it has a matte surface with warm nuances. The inlay decoration (zōgan), inherited from a long Japanese ceramic tradition that consists of inlaying a light slip into engraved patterns, is revisited by Shingo Takeuchi on this vase with contemporary subtlety, playing on the finesse of the decoration and the depth of the materials. Pigments in contrasting tones enrich the surface before a matte slip made from rice ash is applied. After reduction firing, careful brushing reveals the protected lines and buried nuances, in a beautiful harmony of tones.

Shingo Takeuchi, born in 1955 in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, one of the great historical centers of Japanese ceramics, is recognized for his unique approach to inlay decoration applied to forms with deliberately irregular lines, entirely shaped by hand. A graduate of the Aichi ceramics school, he founded his own studio in 1982. His work, very contemporary and sculptural, exhibited in major institutions in Japan and internationally, renews the tradition of zōgan through constant research on material and form.

This vase is signed at its base by the ceramist. It comes with a beautiful wooden protective box (tomobako) with the artist's seal and signature, closing with a sanadahimo cord, and a protective cloth (tomonuno) bearing the artist's seal , all guaranteeing the authenticity and provenance of the piece .