Takashi Nakazato, the potter, is back home
in Karatsu !
He was away for more than five months. How
we missed him, his big laughter, his simple
but deep speech and his extravagant jokes!
To welcome him home, Den Okochi , the proprietor
of Yoyokaku, had a show of his new pottery
that he made at the Anderson Ranch Art Center
in Colorado.
These five years, he has been
an honored
guest at the Art Center.
Takashi loves that place and the people there.
He enjoys himself to the utmost, skiing,
making pot, and above all, collaborating
with the artists from many countries.
His flexible curiosity makes this big
artist with a boy's heart go just freely
to everywhere he wants, everywhere he is
wanted. At the Anderson Ranch Art Center,
he is highly respected, that we could know
from some artists Takashi had sent here.
The show opened on the 12th of May,
at the Show-rooms in Yoyokaku, and many friends
enjoyed the reunion.
I was quite busy, arranging flowers
in his newly made pots, preparing food
and
drinks for the party, and also selling
and
wrapping, and greeting the guests.
Only two days after the last day of
the show, Takashi held the 135th Ryutagama
Concert. Ryutagama is the name of his kiln
in Karatsu. He is also well-known as a generous
patron of baroque music. The musicians come
to see Takashi, and they play and entertain
Takashi's salon.
After the concert, Takashi treated
the guests
to a splendid cuisine which he himself
cooked.
This time, he cooked for 80 people.
Takashi
is also known as an outstanding cook
of very
natural food.
He will be home for a little while until
the next big wind blows, when he will be
away again. You might find him in Copenhagen,
or in Denver, or maybe in a small village
in Jamaica.
Many books have been written about him and
his works, but most of them are in Japanese.
So, for your further information about Takashi,
I will fully quote "Takashi Nakazato Free-Style Pottery
from the South" which was in English as the explanation
in a  book of his collective works published by
NHK in 1990.
I hope you will enjoy yourself reading this,
but it is ten years since it was written,
so please be reminded that Takashi has spread
his world far wider. If you are a pottery-lover,
Karatsu is a must to visit. Moreover, other
porcelain towns of Arita and Imari are within
easy reach from here. You can also enjoy
the different styles between Karatsu and
Arita. Remember Karatsu when you plan your
next journey.
In Takashi's kiln site, he has a wide variety
of trees and flowers. Among them. hydrangea
is now telling us "Tsuyu" is here.
Tsuyu! The rainy season! OK, I'm glad.
I
can see rainbows over our famous Rainbow
Pine Forest (Niji-no-Matsubara).
Well then, I wish you a nice Tsuyu
and a
happy rainbow!
See you next month!
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| Yours, |
Takashi Nakazato - Free-style Pottery from
the South |
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| Mail to Harumi Okochi |
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