These are the works of Izumi Matsumoto, a Kutaniyaki artist from Kanazawa, being displayed at Gallery Rin’s exhibition for the first time.
In many cases, Kutaniyaki involves a division of labor where one person handles the shaping of the clay and another person handles the painting. However, Ms. Matsumoto works entirely on her own, from shaping the clay to painting, incorporating gold and platinum decorations on white porcelain. Her unique methods of crafting these distinct pieces can only be achieved through her hands.
The white surface has no glaze. Instead, it is polished twice - once after the first firing and again after the final firing - to achieve a smooth texture. Polishing it twice to create this finish is more labor-intensive than applying glaze.
After the first firing, an outline is drawn with glaze, then the piece is fired again. Afterward, gold and platinum decorations are applied, and the piece is fired once more. The process involves firing at least three times before completion.
Ms. Matsumoto is a well-established artist with many design awards from Ishikawa Prefecture.
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