About the exhibitor
Japanese artist Haruka Matsuo graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts and Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam. Having studied under Seigetsu Iriyama (1922-2014), Haruka is the 9th successor of Kigata Banko Yaki technique. She is a visual artist at the intersection of traditional Japanese art styles and forms and contemporary insights.
About the products
Kigata Banko Yaki is traditional craft and it was invented 190 years ago by Japanese craft artist Yusetsu Mori (1808-1882). He applied a puzzled wooden mold technique to teapot-making for green tea ceremonies. After the teapot is shaped, the wooden mold can be cleverly deconstructed and removed from inside. This technique allows the teapots to keep the warm handmade feel while being very thin and light, perfectly suitable for preparing green tea. The clay of tea ceremony sets are from cornfields along Ijssel River in Deventer. The glaze is made from wood ash from her region, t’Gooi. Meanwhile the molds that these tea sets are made with, are over 120 years old.
Aritist Haruka Matsuo
During MONO JAPAN 2022, Haruka Matsuo will have a workshop on "Japanese tea ceremony with Gyokuro green tea - Sencha do Oubakubabaisaryu" and "Kigata Banko Workshop (Making teacup with Japanese puzzled wooden mould)".
