Ahead of Yasuyo Yamamoto’s First Solo Exhibition

Coinciding with Golden Week, Yasuyo Yamamoto’s first solo exhibition of overglaze enamel works will be held. In mid-April, shortly before the exhibition period, we visited Katayamazu for a meeting.

It has been thirteen years since Yamamoto left the studio of master overglaze enamel artist Shunzo Masaki and established her independent practice in the outskirts of Kanazawa. Last December, she gathered the vast collection of reference materials she had accumulated over the years and moved them to Katayamazu, about thirty minutes away by car. While continuing to focus on forming and painting at her studio outside Kanazawa, she now plans to quietly develop ideas for new works in the calm setting of her reference room in Katayamazu.

Even within the single category of overglaze enamel decoration, there are many different expressions. There are delicate and gentle worlds rendered through refined brushwork and subtle color tones, bold and expansive worlds created through dynamic brushstrokes, vivid colors, and daring compositions, and sophisticated worlds infused with the artist’s playful individuality. Though each style reveals a different charm, all share a common sense of brightness and splendor.

Tracing the history of overglaze enamel decoration leads in Japan to Ko-Imari, Ko-Kutani, and Rinpa of the Edo period, and in China to the Jiajing, Wanli, and Tianqi eras of the Ming dynasty.
In Europe, it leads to Majolica and Delftware.
Whenever Yamamoto encountered overglaze works that captivated her, regardless of their classical genre,
she honed her sense of brushwork and color through the practice of creating faithful reproductions.
Her approach has always been grounded in learning from the unwavering foundations cultivated through tradition, and making those skills fully her own.
Looking back, she says that brush techniques which once did not come easily have gradually become controllable through years of disciplined practice.

For many years, she balanced her creative work with raising three children as a mother.
Now, with her children grown, the conditions are finally falling into place for her to fully devote herself to life as a professional overglaze enamel artist.
Yamamoto has a clear vision for the future.
Drawing fully on the knowledge and sensibility she has gained through studying classical works, she hopes to create practical and comfortable pieces that naturally fit into contemporary life.
Within them, one may sense the boldness and strength of Ko-Kutani, the remarkable compositional development of Ko-Imari, or the vivid colors characteristic of Kyo-yaki and Rinpa aesthetics.
Above all, she hopes her work will allow people to fully experience the joy of overglaze enamel decoration.

At times, from the perspective of a homemaker standing in the kitchen, she hopes her pieces will enrich not only everyday dining tables but also formal occasions, carrying a presence strong enough to elevate the atmosphere of the setting. With this first solo exhibition, Yamamoto takes her first full step as a serious overglaze enamel artist.
There is great anticipation for the long-awaited unveiling of the achievements she has cultivated over many years.