林秀行／Hayashi Hideyuki

林秀行は、現代陶芸を牽引する作家の一人です。前衛陶芸グループ「走泥社」のメンバーでもあった林は、前衛的なオブジェ作品を数多く制作し、ロサンゼルスやジュネーブ、パリなどで展覧会を開催するなど、海外にも活躍の場を広げています。

京都市の窯元の家に生まれた林は、京都市立芸術大学で彫刻を学んだのち、1964年に八木一夫から誘いを受けて走泥社に参加します。以来、1998年に解散するまで同グループに所属し、独自の作風を築きあげていきます。初期は白磁を用い、切れ味の鋭い幾何学形態のオブジェや、立方体や円環といったフォルムに青やピンクの色彩を取り入れ、ユーモアとエロチシズムが漂う造形を創作しました。1970年代後半には転換期を迎え、扱う素材は磁器から陶土へと拡大していき、焼締めの作品の中に土の持つ独特の情感が表されるようになります。そうした展開を経て彼がたどりついたのが、黒陶です。それに伴い成型方法は石膏型からろくろに移行し、形態も柔らかで不定形なスタイルへと変化を見せました。

近年は各地の窯場を渡り歩き刺激を受けたことで、作品にさらなる変革や新たな発想がもたらされています。土に触れ、手を動かし、その中で自然と形作られていく林の創作物には、作為を超えた自由な感性とアイディアが満ちています。

Hideyuki Hayashi is one of the leading artists in contemporary ceramics as a member of the avant-garde ceramic group “Sodeisha”. He has not only created numerous avant-garde ceramic works but also expanded his presence internationally by holding exhibitions in cities such as Los Angeles, Geneva, and Paris.

Born in a family involved in pottery in Kyoto City, he studied sculpture at Kyoto City University of Arts. In 1964, he joined “Sohdeisha” at the invitation of Kazuo Yagi and remained a member until its dissolution in 1998, establishing his unique artistic style. In the early stages, he used white porcelain to create sharp geometric-shaped objects, incorporating blue and pink colors into forms like cubes and rings, resulting in sculptures that conveyed a sense of humor and eroticism. His turning point came in the late 1970s when he started exploring new materials, transitioning from porcelain to ceramic clay. In his Yakishime (pottery fired at high temperatures without glaze) works, he began expressing the raw emotions of the clay itself. Through this progression, he eventually arrived at his signature black pottery. As a result, his molding techniques shifted from plaster molds to the potter’s wheel, and his forms evolved into softer and more indefinite styles.

In recent years, through travels to various kiln-equipped pottery workshops, he has been inspired, which has resulted in further changes and new ideas in his works. Hayashi’s creations, which are formed spontaneously by touching the clay and working with his hands, are filled with a free sensibility and ideas that go beyond artificiality.