Potter Seisho Suzuki
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Born: 1967 in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture
1992: Studied aesthetics and traveled around Japan
1995: Apprenticed with German potter Björn S. Koon in Miyazaki Prefecture
1996: Established his kiln, Myourigama, in Iwata City
1998: Began studying Shitoroyaki pottery
1999: Participated in a group exhibition of Shitoroyaki pottery
2000: Moved to Kurami in Kakegawa City
2002: Received the names "Jikitou" and "Seisho" from Master Takugan at Kōhōan of Daitokuji Temple
Received orders for mizusashi (water containers) and calligraphy from Kōhōan
2003: Held a commemorative tea ceramics exhibition in Hamamatsu
Created tea bowls for Shouko-kai, Omote-senke
Silver Prize at the International Artists Exhibition (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
2004: Contributed works to Jukkōin Temple Annex
Selected for the Prefectural Craft Exhibition (Shizuoka Prefectural Art Museum)
2005: Selected for the International Artists Exhibition and the Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition
Displayed tea utensils at the National Museum in Poland and the Setagaya Art Museum’s returning exhibition
2006: Moved to Yokokawa in Hamamatsu City
2014: Presented Iwata-yaki works at Iwata City Hall (Public Office)
2016: Held a tea ceramics exhibition at Kōhōan, Daitokuji Temple titled "Shitoroyaki and Korean Imitations"
2017: Held a tea ceramics exhibition in Ginza, Tokyo (Gallery Bien)
2018: Held a new works exhibition titled "The Way of Tea: Contemporary Artists" in Shinjuku, Tokyo (Tankō Center & Calm)
2019: Held a ceramics exhibition in Kikugawa City, Shizuoka (Tōbi-an Hanaikada)
Held a ceramics exhibition titled "Shitoroyaki and Korean" in Shimada City, Shizuoka (Shizugin Gallery Shiki)
2020: Participated in the "Early Spring in Shizuoka: A Journey of Tea" at theJukkōin Temple Anex in Izu City, Shizuoka
And Special tea ceremony with Seisho thin tea and artwork appreciation
2021: Created a commemorative ceramic plaque of Soichiro Honda for Kōmyō Kindergarten in Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City
2022: Selected for the 25th Mino Tea Bowl Exhibition with "Shitoro-Niguro Kairagi Skin Tea Bowl"
Donated "Shitoro-Niguro Large Incense Burner" for the completion ceremony at Shosan Hōrinji Temple
2024: Selected for: Tokai Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition, Mino Tea Bowl Exhibition
Solo Exhibitions:
Held tea ceramics exhibitions in Kyoto (temples), Fukushima (Chugai Department Store Aizu Branch), Sendai, Aomori, Hachinohe, and Ishinomaki (Sakurano Department Store)
Held art exhibitions in Shizuoka, Tokyo, Mie, Chiba, and Aichi (various galleries)
Origin of my name
Pottery Name: 青宵 SEISHO
Kiln Name: 直透 JIKITOU
The name "直透万重閑不住青宵裡” reflects the meaning of "Passing through the countless barriers directly without remaining in the blue night," and it was bestowed by Master Takugan.
**Explanation:** "Seishou" (青宵) means "blue night" or "clear sky." It signifies a state of enlightenment, representing a clear, cloudless sky. The name carries the resolve not to remain even in that enlightened state. This concept is derived from the "Rinzai-roku" (臨済録). In his youth, Rinzai, while traveling, exchanged words with Master Byou of Sampou, and expressed his enlightenment as "Passing directly through the myriad barriers and not remaining even within the blue night."
Reference: "Appreciation of Masterpieces"
Learning from Masterpieces
Korean-style "Ido Tea Bowl"
I have devoted myself to getting as close as possible to the atmosphere emanating from Korean tea bowls, especially Ido tea bowls. At Kōhōan, there is a National Treasure called "Kizaemon." While the tea bowl in this photograph is not a direct copy of Kizaemon, it is a piece I created with a strong sense of that influence. It was displayed on the floor of the Tokonin-ken Shoin room during the tea ceramics exhibition at Kōhōan.
Ido tea bowls are a type of Korean tea bowl. Among the history of tea ceremony utensils, Ido tea bowls hold the throne as the epitome of "wabi-cha," embodying the Japanese aesthetic of simplicity and rustic beauty.