桑田卓郎／Kuwata Takuro

桑田卓郎は、岐阜県土岐市を拠点に活動している陶芸家です。旺盛な実験精神のもと、伝統と革新が融合したオリジナリティあふれる作品を次々と生み出し、国内外から注目を集めています。

1981年、広島県に生まれた桑田は、京都嵯峨芸術大学短期大学部を卒業し、2002年より陶芸家の財満進（ざいますすむ）に弟子入りします。その後、同世代の感覚にも受け入れられる斬新な表現を模索し、岐阜県にある多治見市陶磁器意匠研究所に入学すると、カラフルでポップな造形や、金属を焼きつけたメタリックの作品など、既存の枠組みに縛られない様々な試みを実践しました。

その現代的な作風の中に、器面を縮れさせた「梅華皮（かいらぎ）」や素地に石や砂を混ぜて表面に露出させる「石爆（いしはぜ）」といった伝統的な技術と、安土桃山時代から脈々と継承されてきた「わび・さび」などの日本独自の美意識を見出せる点に、桑田ならではの独自性があります。現状に満足することなく、常に新しいアイディアを発信し続ける彼の作品はどれも驚きと楽しさにあふれ、観る者に鮮烈な「今」を感じさせます。

Takuro Kuwata is a ceramic artist based in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. With a vibrant spirit of experimentation, he creates unique and original works that blend tradition and innovation, garnering attention both domestically and internationally.

Born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1981, he graduated from Kyoto Saga University of Arts Junior College. In 2002, he became an apprentice to ceramic artist Susumu Zaima. Subsequently, he explored innovative expressions that would also resonate with his generation. Upon enrolling at the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute in Gifu Prefecture, he practiced various attempts that were not bound by existing frameworks, including colorful and pop-like creations, as well as metallic works with burnt metal.

Within his contemporary style, Kuwata’s artworks exhibit a distinctiveness that can be seen in the incorporation of traditional techniques such as “Kairagi,” which wrinkles the surface of the vessel, and “Ishihaze,” involving mixing stones and sand into the clay body to expose them on the surface. Additionally, they reflect Japan’s unique aesthetic sensibility, including the concept of “wabi-sabi,” which has been passed down since the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His artworks are filled with surprises and delight, evoking a vivid sense of the present moment for viewers, as he continuously seeks new ideas and is never satisfied with the status quo.