i GALLERY OSAKA presents “ANBAI,” a solo exhibition by ceramic artist Daisuke Anayama.

 

Anayama is based out of Seto, a land with historical roots reaching back over a millennium, and the accumulation of years spent working there with raw materials lingers on in his work as a quiet tension.

The subtle variations in the moisture of the clay, the layering of the glaze, the firing...

The artist—knowing that, with ceramic art, even minute variations in these variables affect a piece’s aura—carefully interprets each one and guides the inherent power of the material into form.

 

His deep understanding and respect for ancient Seto ceramics form the foundation of his artistic expression.

Yet his focus is not confined solely to reproducing the past, but moves effortlessly between tradition and modernity, as if adapting the essence of the material to the future. At the core of this thinking lies the concept of “Anbai,” which is also the theme of this exhibition.

 

The daruma figurines featured in this exhibition deliberately distance themselves from the idol narrative and instead present the “density of existence” in its pure form. Their hollow forms encapsulate both weight and lightness, stillness and motion, while the pooled glaze and scorch marks on their surface give a sense of vitality, as if the material itself were breathing. The anthropomorphic elements such as gaze and facial features are minimized, creating a rare balance at the boundary between symbolism and abstraction. Here, a space unfolds where the refined textures born of Seto clay and fire intersect with the artist’s finely tuned sensibilities.

 

Raw materials, history, and the present.

“Anbai” is where these converge to a single point yet also perpetually remain open.

Explore new horizons in ceramics through Daisuke Anayama’s journey of discovery.