Celebrating Asian Art

Branching Out:
The Kaneshige Family and the Bizen Tradition
The Miwa Family and the Hagi Tradition

May 19-June 30, 2022
In gallery and online

The widespread popularity and distinguished reputations that Japan’s ancient ceramic traditions enjoy today are largely indebted to a core group of mid-twentieth century artistic visionaries: among them, Kaneshige Tōyō (1896-1967) for Bizen ware and Miwa Kyūwa (1895-1981) for Hagi ware. Both men were inheritors to their highly esteemed, long-established, multi-generational family names that had been associated with excellence in their respective ceramic traditions for centuries. Together with scholar-potter Kawakita Handeishi (1878-1963), they co-founded the artistic discussion group Karahinekai in 1942, formed of artists who were dedicated to the recovery of lost techniques from the golden age of ceramics during the 16th century Momoyama period.

With a focus on teaware and vessels, they were wildly successful in their endeavors. Adapting their production, greatly expanding their styles, and influencing their brothers, sons, and grandchildren, they definitively transformed their family’s legacy from that of dutiful craftsmen to boldly modern artists. Joan B Mirviss LTD’s latest exhibition celebrates the past, present, and future of these two prominent families synonymous with excellence.

Read more, click here

Japanese Art and its Importance in Interior Design
An online ZOOM panel discussion hosted by Joan B Mirviss LTD
June 7 at 5pm EDT
From the moment Japanese art and aesthetics were introduced to the West, design and architecture have never been quite the same. For our next ZOOM panel discussion, we explore how these encounters with Japanese art have sparked fresh perspectives and resulted in enchanting private and public spaces for the art’s enjoyment and display. Leading voices in the fields of architecture and interior design share their experiences with Japanese art, its influence on their studio’s practice, and working with collectors to incorporate its visual language into their environments. Drawing from wisdom accumulated over their long careers, top interior designers Robert Couturier and Paul Vincent Wiseman and New York-based architect Jane Sachs discuss how Japanese art can be situated in Western contexts. With a focus on display, they are joined by collector Pilar Conde, who lives alongside her important Japanese ceramics collection.

Photo by Roman Alokhin, Courtesy of the New Orleans Museum of Art

PANELISTS:
PILAR CONDE, Collector of Japanese ceramics
ROBERT COUTURIER, Renowned French-born interior designer
JANE SACHS, Principal of HS2 Architecture, New York
PAUL WISEMAN, President of San Francisco-based interior design firm, The Wiseman Group
Moderated by JOAN MIRVISS

To watch a recording of this event, and others hosted by the gallery, please click here.