Keiichi Ito

The works of Keiichi Ito (1950) represent a sense of will and eternity. According to Ito 'an existence of sense of will has a strong connection with people who also hold life. Its eternity is a breath of hope that would become a vitality for tomorrow.’ Ito's subjects are nature and artifacts that passed through time. Artifacts are the opposite of nature but through the sharing and passing of time with people, Ito feels the sense of will and its eternity in them.

The artefact that Ito has chosen for his series ‘Tyawan’ is the ceramic matcha bowl used in the tea ceremony (chado), the prime example of a wabi-sabi object. The matcha bowl in the tea ceremony not only welcomes the guests, but also represents the host’s spirit and authority, according to Ito With Tyawan he intended to investigate every millimetre of various matcha bowls. The images that Ito has made of the bowls are like abstract landscapes created by the irregularities and imperfections of the bowls. Naturally, Ito uses handmade washi paper to print his ‘bowl scapes’ on and the irregular edges of his toned prints are to be seen.

Submitted by IBASHO