Bizen Exhibition

Over two weekends this August, Fang will host an intimate teaware exhibition featuring the works of Bizen’s leading potters. A chahui (茶會 experiential tea ceremony) will also be conducted to mark the occasion and the advent of autumn.

Running from Fridays to Saturdays, 9 to 11 August and 16 to 18 August, 11:30am to 6pm, this special exhibition showcases the fascinating and enduring allure of one of Japan’s greatest pottery traditions.

Bizen, sited in the prefecture of Okayama, is home to one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns. Here, for over a thousand years, potters have been producing vessels prized for their form, function, and beauty.

Merely to call Bizen ware (備前焼) rustic or ‘wabi’ does not suffice in capturing its aesthetic value. Born of clay and fire, it appears unassuming and raw, yet its strength and nobility of character convey a profound sense of the primordial powers of nature.

The effects that appear on Bizen ware are varied and richly layered — defying human control and interference, they bear witness to the indomitable flames of the kiln.

Within the tea space, it is also not without reason that Bizen wins the acclaim of generations upon generations of tea practitioners, going so far back as Rikyu and his predecessors who — with their penetrating eye and pioneering aesthetic — appreciated its unadorned beauty, magnificence, and truth.

Fang invites you to experience these wares in person.