北国の蒼
秋田ならではの土と釉薬で、器、陶製アクセサリーを作っています。
白岩焼(しらいわやき)というやきものは、海鼠釉(なまこゆう)という味わい深い青い色の釉薬が特徴です。これは秋田に江戸時代からつづく、地元産の赤い土と、地元産のお米「あきたこまち」のモミの灰を釉薬に使う、土地に根差したやきものです。
海鼠釉を生み出す窯元は、日本全国、東北や九州に現在もたくさんあり、ルーツをたどれば中国・韓国に行きつく、伝統的な釉薬です。そのなかでもこの白岩焼の海鼠釉は、雪国・秋田ならではの特徴があるように思います。長い長い冬のあと、雪がとけて大地の色が少しづつ見えてくる時期の、秋田の人々の春を待ちわびる気持ちがつまった「大地の赤土と青白い名残りの雪」の心象風景と重なるからです。
秋田の長い長い冬は、作ったものも凍る、釉薬も凍る、やきもの作りにとっては効率の悪い土地です。しかし、急ぐことのできない時間のなかで、ゆっくりと考え、丁寧にものを作る、それはなにごとも効率優先の現代において、時代遅れであると同時に、貴重なことであると思います。
じっくりと時間をかけた雪国ならではのあたたかさのつまった作品を、使ってくださる方の日々の生活にお届けできたらと思っています。
白岩焼和兵衛窯 渡邊 葵
映画「シン・ゴジラ」(庵野秀明総監督)に美術装飾協力
「Stay Gold Stay Blue 渡邊葵作陶展」(秋田・潟上市 m's collctables)
「カレー皿展 × Tシャツ展」(岩手・盛岡市 shop+spaceひめくり)
「天の戸百年祭」記念品制作(秋田・横手市「株式会社 浅舞酒造」)
「秋によりそう-白岩焼和兵衛窯 渡邊葵作陶展-」(秋田市 日々の器と雑貨の店「眞理」)
2018
「葵と睦 時々ミンカ」(秋田・大曲 職人商売ミンカ)
「春ノ月 渡邊葵個展」(岩手・盛岡 shop+spaceひめくり)
「白岩焼和兵衛窯 渡邊敏明・渡邊葵 作陶展」(秋田・角館 仙北市立角館樺細工伝承館)
「ちいさなもの市」(東京・神楽坂 コハルアン)
「白岩焼和兵衛窯 渡邊葵展」(東京・吉祥寺 MARKUS)
「アクセサリーと風景」(宮城・仙台 東北スタンダードマーケット)
「あたたかな青Ⅱ」(東京・神楽坂 コハルアン)
2019
「マグと読書の時間」「コハルアン」(東京・神楽坂 コハルアン)
「白岩焼和兵衛窯 渡邊葵個展」(宮城・仙台 東北スタンダードマーケット)
「my collectables your collectables 白岩焼和兵衛窯 渡邊葵個展」(秋田・潟上市 m's collectables)
Wahee-gama is located in Akita, the Tohoku district in Japan. We have made Shiraiwa-yaki ware for forty years.
Shiraiwa-yaki was made since the end of 18th century.Though Shiraiwa-yaki ware ceased at one time for various reasons, we at Wahee-gama have succesfully revived this classic pottery from. Shiraiwa-yaki ware is characterized by a brown clay with blue gradation glaze, called Namako-yu. At Wahee-gama we continously endeavor to match traditional pottery with modern life styles.
The beautiful Namako-yu glaze is the main characteristic of Shiraiwa-yaki ware, and it gives its gradating blue and white appearance. As Shiraiwa-yaki ware had at once time ceased production, much lengthy research was necessary to reproduce the glaze. At last we found the correct tones of the glaze, produced using natural materials from local sources, and devised the best process of firing.
We use a multi-chambered climbing kiln and a kerosene kiln to make our wares. It is more difficult to control the temperature of these than it is control the temperature of electric or gas-fueled kilns, but we keep on producing Shiraiwa-yaki pottery with them. We believe that the very best and most beautiful results can only be achieved by using traditional methods. Namako-yu glaze is also a traditional, and a unique, glaze. With our time-honored method and glaze, we at Wahee-gama never stop pursuing our goal of matching our traditional and beautiful pottery with modern life styles.
Akita Prefecture is a cold region, where it snows almost one third of the year. The soil and the glaze are frozen in wintertime. Living here means we have to share our lives with severe nature, and that making pottery pieces is done less efficiently than in warmer areas. In the depth of winter, we are quite isolated from the outside world. Taking time for creative pursuits gives us pleasure, and makes winter pass more quickly. We think that the blue and white color of Namako-yu glaze represents snow, and that color of the clay represents the color of slushy ground as the snow melts. Shiraiwa-yaki ware expresses the delight of the people as they welcome the warmth of springs, after the long coldness of winter.
Our style goes against the trends of modern society, in which people tend to value efficiency above everything else. At Wahee-gama we believe that fine works of surpassing beauty can only be created with a great deal of time and effort.