We spend the last month of the year with Shiro again this year.

The large cup he gave me, which I use every morning to drink water, feels wonderful in my hand and against my lips. Every time I use it, I feel a simple, unadulterated happiness. It’s not for special sake, or particular coffee, or even delicious spring water. When I drink plain, purified water, it’s not just that the ordinary becomes delicious, but it feels like a moment to directly perceive the presence of the vessel itself, in its raw form. Strangely, I never get used to it; each time, I am struck anew.


The proportion of black pieces among the works exhibited last year, and the year before, and likely this year too, is greater. So why “another white”? It’s not his intention; it’s actually my own interpretation. Visually, Shiro Hamanaka himself and many of his works are black. But their impression is white. The plates and bowls placed on the table, even when filled with food, rest quietly, as do the vases holding flowers. They possess the same demeanor as their creator. The vessels displayed in the exhibition hall are uniformly silent. Serenity evokes white. Just as black text arranged with ample whitespace on a large white sheet makes one conscious of the whitespace itself, the vessels seem to assert their presence by interacting with the space that surrounds them.

And so, the “white” in the title was the white of whitespace. That’s a lie, though; this time too, you can see “another white.” The glaze on this exhibition's white ceramics is more alluring and dangerous than ever, so please be careful when you visit.


“alternative white” Shiro Hamanaka Exhibition

Dates: December 15 (Sat) – December 23 (Sun), 2012

“Saruyama”

Wako Mansion 101, 3-12-46 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Tel. 03-3401-5935

Hours: 13:00 – 18:00

Closed: Open throughout the exhibition period
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