Itō Sekisui V, a 14th generation ceramic potter, was recognized for his work in mumyōi in 2003, when he was designated a Living National Treasure. Mumyōi is a reddish brown, ferric oxide clay extracted from gold mines native to Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, where the artist was born. Itō is known for neriage ware characterized by delicate patterns and created by layering and patching clay of different reddish brown tones.
Selected Awards and Exhibitions
2015–2018 Asia Week, New York, US
2017 The 64th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Japan
2015 SOFA Chicago, Illinois, US | Tradition Reborn: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Indianapolis Museum of Art, US
2007 Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan, British Museum, London, UK
Selected Public Collections
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, US
- Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, US
- Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, US
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
- Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Nagaoka, Japan
- Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Japan
- National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan