Hey everyone! We have some really cool news! Ikuhiko Shibata, a well-known ceramic artist from Tajimi in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, would like to help with our playground project. As an artist for over 35 years, he apprenticed with his great uncle, Kozo Kato, who is a National Living Treasure in Japan. He is currently an artist in residence at the Funke Fired Arts studio in Cincinnati for three months. While here, Mr. Shibata would like to help our playground project by creating special edition tea mugs and tea bowls (for Japanese tea ceremony) which signify Ishinomaki, and will only make them during this short time he is here in Cincinnati. On Tuesday, Steve and Helen Rindsberg led a group of us at the studio to help choose some of the shapes and glazes for the mugs. Mr. Shibata will even make a “Miya” edition mug in Miya’s favorite color blue.
Mr. Shibata will be selling them in a few select stores including Hanamiya in Montgomery, and will donate all the money to our Ishinomaki Playground project. He has had several solo exhibitions in Japan as well as one at the Krohn Conservatory here in Cincinnati when he donated his proceeds to Hurricane Katrina relief. His work can also be seen in various locations, including the Cincinnati International Friendship Park Pavilion. Mr. Shibata is staying with Steve and Helen Rindsberg who are members of the Gifu-Cincinnati sister city. We’ll be providing additional details about how to obtain one of his pieces soon.
Here are some photos from our meeting.
