Nobuhito Nakaoka was born in Osaka, Japan in 1977. At the age of 18, he began to learn ceramic making. During the process of doing chores and making countless vessels, he learned techniques and the use of the ceramic wheel. During the pr
ocess of learning art, he learned from Mr. Tadashi Nisihata, who is the famous ceramic master of Tamba. Graduated from Kyoto Institute of Technology in 2001, majoring in ceramics. After that, he studied ceramic glaze in the industrial testing ground of Kyoto City. In 2003, he was appointed as “Saint Vincent”, and be a volunteer for overseas cooperation in Japan. Shaped by gravity and the circular force of a ceramic wheel, the ceramic wheel could only make a single shape, so he had the talent to sublimate this simple work to what could be called perfect artwork. Holding the platform to its limits, he realised that the vessel seemed to oat in the air. And then during the ring process, the paint on the work leaves unique lines (traces) as the glaze melts and is expanded by gravity, which means that the law of gravity naturally spreads footprints all over the vessel. He felt that the rotating shaft of the ceramic wheel was tightly connected with the inner time axis, so his works with extraordinary talent were born in the combination of gravity, centrifugal force and time. Was this creative process enough to express “space” itself? Works beyond ordinary people are born in imaginative people! His unique ceramic works prove this. He has participated in ceramic art exhibitions all over the world, and his artworks collected in various art institutions in Japan.
Raku ceramic, developed in Japan during the 16th century, has become famous the world over for its unique qualities and subtle, unpretentious and natural beauty.
Working in Kyoto in the 1500s, the potter Chijiro developed a unique, low-fire ceramic process in which he placed pieces directly into a red-hot kiln, removing them once the glaze had melted and allowing the ceramic to cool outside the kiln – the process we now know as raku. This technique creates unique effects throughout the glaze, and even the ceramic itself. Each piece is therefore the result of pure chance – a key element of both the raku aesthetic and philosophy. The word ‘raku’ itself has often been translated as ‘happiness in the accident’. The beauty of raku lies in the uniqueness of each piece: a pattern that can never be repeated, characterised by asymmetry, irregularity and imperfection, imbued with its own particular spirit.
Similarly, raku ceramic is hand-thrown rather than being created through the more commonly used wheel. Hand-forming each piece increases the potential for the creator to sculpt, allowing them to express themselves directly through the finished piece, creating a work that is at once both rustic and sublime.
The beauty of raku is the beauty of nature, and imparts the same calming effect on the viewer. The simplicity of the pieces enhances appreciation of its form and naturalness, and allows for relief, tranquility and a peacefulness of mind – comfort and ease indeed.
E+Hive gallery is proud to present the raku ceramic of Nobuhito Nakaoka, whose works exemplify the raku aesthetic of simplicity, uniqueness, and chance. After completing high school in 1996, Nobuhito began studying under the renowned Tadashi Nishihata, perhaps the most accomplished traditional ceramist in Japan today. Nobuhito studied ceramic and ceramics at the Industrial Research Institute of Kyoto, before embarking upon his solo career.
Nobuhito has exhibited widely in Japan and has been highly awarded for his work, including winning the 2011 Kobe Biennale Contemporary Ceramics Competition, the 2013 Award of Excellence for the 30th Tanabe Art Museum Grand Prize Tea Ceremony Fine Art Exhibition, and the 2015 Kobe Biennale Contemporary Ceramics Competition for the 32nd Nagasaki Award Tokumo Ceramics Exhibition.
Nobuhito’s works are characterised by a rich, colourful palette, a delicacy and simplicity of design, and the spontaneous beauty of imperfection that has made raku one of the most admired art forms in the world.
For other Japanese firewood potteries or Chinese firewood potteries available at E+Hive Gallery
, please check in store or at our online shop.
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