Manabu Atarashi (新學) Japanese, b. 1973

An Iga Ware Flower Vase (伊賀花入)

Heisei Era (1989-2019) or Reiwa Era (2019-present)

About the work

A highly expressive Iga ware flower vase by Manabu Atarashi, conceived as a compact sculptural form with a rugged, heavily worked surface. The irregular body rises to a short cylindrical neck, its deliberate asymmetry and bold modelling embodying the artist's distinctive approach to contemporary Iga ware.

The surface is exceptionally varied, revealing areas of warm reddish orange clay beneath thick deposits of natural ash. Cream, grey and greenish glassy passages flow irregularly across the body, pooling around projections and crevices and creating pronounced contrasts of colour and texture. These dramatic effects record the direct interaction of clay, flame and wood ash during firing.

Atarashi's work is particularly associated with the concept of hachō no bi (破調の美), an aesthetic of beauty found in disrupted or deliberately unconventional form. Bold cuts, rough projections and irregular facets break apart the conventional vessel silhouette, while the powerful effects of anagama firing further accentuate its sculptural character. Each viewpoint reveals a markedly different composition of exposed clay, scorched surfaces and vitrified ash. 

The work is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box and signed storage cloth.

Dimensions

11.8cm(h) x 8.5cm(w) x 8.4cm(d)

Footnote

Manabu Atarashi (新學, b. 1973) is an acclaimed mid-career Japanese ceramic artist working in the celebrated Iga ware (伊賀焼) tradition. Operating out of Iga, Mie Prefecture—one of Japan's most historic ceramic regions—he bridges centuries-old wood-firing techniques with a bold, contemporary sculptural language.

Born as the son of renowned Iga potter Kanji Atarashi  (新歓嗣), Manabu grew up immersed in the raw, tactile world of yakishime (unglazed wood-fired stoneware). After graduating from Kansai University, he formally trained under his father before establishing his own independent kiln in Iga. Today, he represents the dynamic modern generation of Iga potters who honor historical techniques while fearlessly redefining their aesthetics.

Atarashi Manabu’s work is widely celebrated across Japan, with frequent solo and group exhibitions at leading galleries, specialty ceramic venues, and premier department stores. Key exhibition venues include:

• Tokyo & Kyoto: Yakimono Naganawa (Meguro, Tokyo) and Utsuwaya Yuyuyu (Kyoto)

• Osaka: Art Salon Yamaki and Hankyu Department Store Umeda Main Store

• Nagoya, Gifu & Fukuoka: Matsuzakaya Nagoya Store, Jokindo (Gifu), and Fukuoka Mitsukoshi Department Store

• Ehime: Gallery Lab