Plate 2010

Editor: We’re looking at a ceramic plate by Hasu Yoshitaka, made in 2010. I’m immediately struck by the glaze – it looks like a stormy landscape contained within a square. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, a tiny tempest in earthenware! Yoshitaka-san, I feel, isn’t just crafting a plate, but encapsulating a world. Do you feel that pull, the rough texture contrasted with almost ethereal colors? It whispers of Japanese wabi-sabi, beauty found in imperfection, the transient nature of things. But is it water, a sky, a feeling? Editor: It does feel like it's more than just a plate, especially with the sort of rustic, uneven texture. I was curious about that contrast – the planned, geometric shape versus the organic feel of the glaze. Was that intentional, do you think? Curator: I believe so. See how the square, that imposed human order, can barely contain the chaotic dance of fire and earth captured in the glaze. The tension is delicious! Like trying to hold smoke. Have you encountered similar contrasts elsewhere, perhaps even in nature? Editor: Actually, yeah, that makes me think of tide pools, geometric formations of rock that are then filled with the completely fluid ocean. I wouldn't have thought of it without your perspective, though! Curator: Isn't it glorious when art starts to reflect the world back at us in new and unexpected ways? Yoshitaka is urging us, ever so gently, to ponder these dichotomies - structure and flow, permanence and change, intention and accident. Editor: I will never look at a plate the same way again. Thanks for pointing all of that out. Curator: It’s been a delight! Art invites endless exploration, each piece a gateway to different perspectives and deeper understanding.