Event Dates: September 13, 2026 – September 19, 2026
Writers in the Gallery
September 13, 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
September 14, 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
September 15, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Yamane Akimasa
～Profile～
He studied under Masami Nishikawa, a direct disciple of Tōyō Kaneshige, the first-ever Living National Treasure. In Heisei 2, he built a kiln on Ibe Pond in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, and established himself as an independent Bizen-yaki artist.
After building the kiln, he held his first kiln exhibition at “Gallery Koma” in Himeji City. In Heisei 3, he hosted a launch party at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo.
1997: Selected for the Biennale Yaki-shime Exhibition
1999–2002: A total of 9 works were selected for the “Nikki Exhibition” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
2003: Created a special Bizen-yaki container for Suntory Limited’s “Hibiki” whiskey. At the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery, it became the first Japanese ceramic to be adopted as a maturation container for “Hibiki.”
2005: Held exhibitions at the Fukuoka International Congress Center and the Kitakyushu Prince Arena. The work that won the “Kikuka-sho” award from the Genka-kai was exhibited in a touring exhibition at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, the Fukuyama City Museum of Art in Hiroshima Prefecture, and in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture.
2008: Exhibition held at the Shanghai International Airport Hotel. Received an award from the Genka-kai.
2009: Exhibition held at the Beijing 21st Century Hotel.
2010–2014: Engaged in collaborative projects with renowned Chinese painters and calligraphers. Works were exhibited at the Shanghai Library’s “120th Anniversary of Mao Zedong’s Birth Commemorative Exhibition,” in Jing’an District, Shanghai, and at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Hall.
2015: Appointed as a Special Professor at East China Normal University in China. Exhibited at “Zhuozheng Garden,” a World Heritage Site and one of China’s Four Great Gardens. Participated in the Suzhou International Art Expo.
2017: Received the “Certificate of Authentication for Imperial Bizen Kaen Kiln” from the Shijō Tsukasa family, the direct lineage of Shijō Chūnagon Yamakage.
2025: Exhibited at the 2nd Geibun Association Exhibition and the 5th Geiten Exhibition, “Prayer.”
2026: Exhibited at “MINERVA 2026.”
2026: Received the Honorable Mention Award at the 70th Anniversary Shin-Kaiju-sha Exhibition.
2026: Received the Category Award at “Tokyo Art Kougei.”
Akimasa Yamane's Commitment
Building on the traditional techniques of Bizen ware, I am dedicated to creating “Unglazed Yohen Tenmoku”—works that express the world of Yohen without using any glaze at all.
Yōhen Tenmoku tea bowls originated in China during the Southern Song Dynasty and were introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period. Among all Tenmoku tea bowls, they are renowned as the pinnacle of beauty in the history of ceramics due to their mysterious luster, which evokes the cosmos. Only a handful of Yōhen Tenmoku tea bowls survive today, and many of them have been designated as National Treasures of Japan.
While typical Yōhen Tenmoku tea bowls rely on glaze to produce their beautiful mottled patterns and iridescence, the “Unglazed Yōhen Tenmoku” I pursue uses no glaze whatsoever, creating its unique patterns solely through the inherent properties of the clay and the power of the flame. The appearance—which emerges only through the complex interplay of all conditions, including the clay’s composition, the kiln’s state, the flow of the flame, temperature, and oxygen levels—is extremely difficult to reproduce and requires a high level of experience and technical skill.
No two pieces are alike—each bowl is a one-of-a-kind creation.
My goal is not merely to create beautiful vessels. I seek to fuse the tranquility unique to unglazed ware with the powerful vitality born of the flame, thereby imbuing each piece with a “cosmic landscape” woven from clay, fire, and time.
Through my work, I seek to reflect a reverence for the laws of nature, the beauty born of the passage of time, and the spirit of the artisan.
I continue to create with the hope that the cosmic radiance dwelling within each bowl will resonate with the heart of every viewer, sparking new emotions and a quiet dialogue.
Exhibited Works
* Unauthorized reproduction, use, or republication of images is strictly prohibited
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* All works featured here are the intellectual property of their respective creators.
Exhibition Title
Akimasa Yamane Solo Exhibition
Date
2026/9/13-19
Time
11:00-19:00
Location
Gallery An Nihonbashi
12-4 Nihonbashi-Odenmacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0011
Refolia 5F Gallery An
[Access]
4-minute walk from Exit A2 of Higashi-Nihonbashi Station
5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Kodemma-cho Station
4-minute walk from Exit A2 of Bakuro-Yokoyama Station