陶芸家 大野耕太郎
大野作品を日常のレギュラー食器として愛好する贅沢
１枚目及び２枚目は筆者の自宅で撮影；星座シリーズ マグカップなど
３枚目の画像の出典；くらしごと
北海道札幌市から北へ８０キロメートル、自動車で国道を通り約１時間４５分ほどかかるところに滝川市がある。人口が２００万人になろうとしている札幌市が近いこともあり、滝川市の人口は減少傾向にあるといい、現在は３万７千人に届かない。
北海道は大学や就職に札幌へ行くのも、東京に行くのも、あるいは海外に行くことも故郷を離れるということでは同じなので、滝川出身の実業家、教育者、芸術家など、私が知る限りでも、道内外で、もちろん東京でも活躍している。
滝川は北海道の開拓の歴史上、鉄道交通の要であった。炭鉱や農業、当時の先端的技術の要所として繁栄した。詩人、作家や芸術家など本州からの文化人の往来も盛んだったことが窺える。
その滝川から、今年、2024年10月、陶芸家、大野耕太郎氏の逝去の報が淳子夫人から届いて茫然とした。私は大野耕太郎先生のアトリエと作品を、１９９０年代後半に当時滝川市役所におられた、中さんと山内さんから紹介された。滝川出身の日本画家、岩橋永遠とともに現存して活躍中の滝川の人々が誇りに感じている芸術家だった。
約３０年間、公私ともに大野ご夫妻とその作品に接していたことは、その時期に偶然、滝川が仕事と関わりが深かったという私が巡り合った幸運だった。大野先生はご自分の作品を、普通の人々が日常生活で鑑賞し、日常で実際に使うことを喜ばれた。私の身の回りもいつの間にか大野作品に取り囲まれていた。自分だけでなく趣味が合う友人たちと一緒に愉しんだ。大野耕太郎氏は滝川市の人々に創作を滝川を拠点として行うように熱心に懇願されたのだが、もちろんご本人が北海道や滝川が大好きだったと語っておられる。
淳子夫人が、友人や知人に大野先生がご逝去されたことをこれまでの道のりと２００８年以降、長い闘病のなかでの創作にもふれてお知らせくださった。大野先生は体力的に大きな作品はもう作れなくなったと、おっしゃったことを思い出すが、お会いしたときはいつもにこやかでお幸せそうだった。大野ご夫妻はご家族と滝川の江部乙というところに住んでおられた。とても美しく大きくおいしいりんごやさくらんぼなど、果物が育つ江部乙で、私も送っていただいたことがある。道外には流通しないので知る人ぞ知る名産である。大野先生ご自身もお加減がよいときは畑作業をするのがお好きだったそうだ。
東京での個展などにはできるだけ行くようにしたが、今思うと淳子夫人だけが会場におられたときは、大野先生はお加減が悪いときだったのだ。お手紙には長く辛い病いは完治することはなかったが、病院を出てご自宅で療養されることを望まれて、ご家族や友人の方々とともに過ごされ、最期はご自宅でご家族に囲まれて、2024年10月14日に71歳で安らかに永眠されたと書かれていた。
最後に、参照資料を３点添えておきたい。１つは大野耕太郎氏の陶歴、次にプロフィール、最後に大野耕太郎氏ご夫妻の関連資料、a家庭と創作の場であった北海道滝川市のアトリエでのインタビュー記事「くらしごと」、私はこの「くらしごと」という記事にとても共感する。私がお会いしたときの飾り気のない大野先生と淳子夫人をここに描かれているとおりに思い起こすからだ。そしてb,cは大野耕太郎氏が日本及び国際的に評価されてきた創作活動の中心であった日本工芸会のHP及び掲載されている大野耕太郎作品一覧である。
1. 主な陶歴
1980年 第20回日本伝統工芸新作展 三越賞 北海道新聞社賞
1983年 第23回日本伝統工芸新作展北海道新聞社賞
1984-86年 北海道立近代美術館 北海道の美術招待出品
1995年 現代茶陶展 金賞
1996年 第36回日本伝統工芸新作展 奨励賞
1999年 朝日現代クラフト展 招待作品
2000年 第２回現代茶陶展 大賞 日本伝統工芸新作展 ／ 第6回酒の器創作展 最優秀賞
2002年 第5回益子陶芸展 濱田庄司賞 ／ 第15回北の生活産業デザインコンペティション 金賞
2003年 第4回益子陶芸展 濱田庄司賞受賞者展
2004年 第5回益子陶芸展 審査員特別賞
入選；日本陶芸工芸展 11回 / 日本陶芸展 2回
収蔵 ; 益子陶芸美術館、セラトピア土岐、ウォルターズ美術館、ニューオリンズ美術館、オークランド美術館、ポートランド美術館
北海道立近代美術館
２．プロフィール
ブラジルで生まれて１歳で帰国。千葉県館山市で育つ。１９７３年―７７年 学習院大学で念願の陶芸を始める。
１９７７年―７８年 岐阜県立多治見工業高校窯業専攻科でやきものの道へ。
１９８９年 スペインのマドリッド・モンクロア陶芸学校にて研修
現在（２００５年） 日本工芸会正会員 ／ 滝川市陶芸センタ―所長
３．大野耕太郎の関連文献は以下の通り。
a．くらしごと
b．日本工芸会
c. 日本工芸会ホームページ
了
Potter Kotaro Ohno
The luxury of using Ohno’s work as regular tableware in everyday life
The first and second photos were taken at the writer’s home; Constellation series, mugs, etc.
Source of the third photo: Kurashigoto
80 kilometers north of Sapporo, Hokkaido, which takes about an hour and 45 minutes by car along the national highway is where Takikawa City is located.
In Hokkaido, whether one goes to Sapporo for university or work, or moves to Tokyo or overseas, it’s the same in that one is leaving one’s hometown, so businesspeople, educators, artists, and etc. from Takikawa become prominent in Hokkaido and beyond, and of course in Tokyo. Therefore, despite Sapporo city is about to reach a population of 2 million, the neighboring city Takikawa is said to be in a declining trend, and currently it is less than 37,000.
Takikawa was a key location for railway transport in the history of Hokkaido’s development. It also prospered as a key location for coal mining, agriculture and cutting-edge technology of the time. It is also clear that there was a lot of traffic of cultural figures from mainland (Honshu), such as poets, writers and artists.
In October 2024, I was stunned to receive the news of the passing of potter Kotaro Ohno from his wife Junko, residing in Takikawa. I was introduced to Kotaro Ohno’s atelier and works by Mr. Naka and Mr. Yamauchi, who were working at the Takikawa City Hall in the late 1990s. At the time, Kotaro Ohno and Iwahashi Eien were artists that were well-known and the pride of Takikawa.
It was my good fortune to be involved with Takikawa as I was exposed to Mr. and Mrs. Ohno and their work for about 30 years for both work and private. Mr. Ohno was happy that ordinary people could appreciate his works and use them in their daily lives. Before I knew it, my surroundings were filled with Ohno’s works. Instead of keeping alone, I enjoyed them with friends who shared interests. Kotaro Ohno was very passionate in his plea to the people of Takikawa to base his creative activities in Takikawa, and of course, he himself said that he loved Hokkaido and Takikawa.
Mrs. Ohno informed her friends and acquaintances of Mr. Ohno’s passing, including his path to his death and his creative work during his long battle with illness since 2008.
I recall Mr. Ohno saying that he was no longer physically able to create large works, but when I met him, he was always smiling and seemed happy.
The Ohno’s lived with their family in a place called Ebe Otsu in Takikawa. Ebe Otsu grows beautiful, large, and delicious apples, cherries, and other fruits, and I have had some of them sent to me. The products are not distributed outside of Hokkaido, so they are well-known product only among those who know about them. Mr. Ohno himself loved to work in the fields when he was in a good mood.
Personally, I tried to go to his exhibitions in Tokyo as much as possible, but when Mrs. Ohno was the only one at the venue, it meant Mr. Ohno was not feeling well.
In the letter, she wrote that his long and painful illness was never completely cured, but he wished to leave the hospital and recuperate at home, so he spent his final days with his family and friends and passed away peacefully at the age of 71 on October 14, 2024, surrounded by loved ones.
Finally, I would like to add two references. One is an interview with Kotaro Ohno and his wife at their home and atelier in Takikawa, Hokkaido, which I was deeply impressed. I also identify with this article because it reminds me of the unpretentious Mr. Ohno and his wife Junko when I met them, just as they are depicted in the article. Next is a list of Kotaro Ohno’s works published in the Japan Crafts Association, which was the center of his creative activities that earned him national and international recognition.
The following contains 1. Kotaro Ohno’s diverse fields of activity and brief personal history, 2. his life and creative activities in Hokkaido, and 3. the Japan Traditional Crafts Association website, which lists the works of Kotaro Ohno that have been exhibited and awarded, and a list of Kotaro Ohno’s works.
1. Main career highlights
1980: 20th Japan Traditional Crafts New Work Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Prize, Hokkaido Shimbun Prize
1983: 23rd Japan Traditional Crafts New Work Exhibition, Hokkaido Shimbun Prize
1984-86: Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Hokkaido Art Invitational Exhibition
1995: Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition, Gold Prize
1996: Encouragement Prize, 36th Japan Traditional Crafts New Work Exhibition
1999: Invited work, Asahi Modern Craft Exhibition
2000: Grand Prize, 2nd Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition / Best Prize, 6th Sake Cup Creative Exhibition
2002: The 5th Mashiko Pottery Exhibition, Hamada Shoji Prize / The 15th Northern Living and Industrial Design Competition, Gold Prize
2003: The 4th Mashiko Pottery Exhibition, Hamada Shoji Prize Winner Exhibition
2004: The 5th Mashiko Pottery Exhibition, Special Jury Prize
Selected for the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition 11 times / Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition 2 times
Collected by: Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art, Ceratopia Toki, Walters Art Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, Oakland Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art
2. Profile
Born in Brazil, returned to Japan at the age of one. Grew up in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture. 1973-77: Began studying ceramics at Gakushuin University in Tokyo which had been a long-cherished dream.
1977-78: Studied ceramics at the ceramics department of Tajimi Technical High School in Gifu Prefecture.
1989: Trained at the Moncloa Ceramics School in Madrid, Spain
Present (2005) – Full member of the Japan Crafts Association / Director of the Takikawa City Pottery Center
3. The following are related documents of Kotaro Ohno.
a．くらしごと(JPN Interview) *Note 1
*Note 1. a くらしごと （JPN Interview)
I was able to create my porcelain because I came to Hokkaido.
published on June 26, 2017.
The reason why ceramic artist Kotaro Ohno chose Takikawa
When we think of porcelain, we imagine something hard and cold that makes a high-pitched sound when flicked with a finger. However, the works of Kotaro Ohno, a ceramic artist living in Takikawa, somehow give off a warm feeling like that of pottery.
The softness from glazes such as “pale blue porcelain” and “yellow porcelain”, and the technique of [鎬手] “Shinogite”, which creates a flowing ridge line, present a warm, homely feeling within the refined sharpness of the work.
His interest in ceramics was sparked by a documentary program that featured the Sumiyama Craft Village in Kyoto. He started his long-cherished dream of pottery in a club activity at Gakushuin University located in Tokyo, where he also met Junko, who would later become his wife. After graduation, in order to realize his dream of becoming a potter, he re-entered high school in Gifu Prefecture called Tajimi Industrial Highschool where he mastered full-scale pottery making. At the time, he was making pottery made from clay, such as Mino-ware and Oribe-ware. He was constantly told by his teacher, “Your work is too rigid,” and it was a source of concern as to how he could express warmth in his work.
One day, he was asked by his teacher if he would be interested in working as an instructor at the Takikawa City Ceramic Art Center. Hokkaido, blessed with great nature, is a place that people who grew up in Honshu long to visit. Kotaro felt that the only way to express his originality was through glaze research, and the invitation to work in a place where he could freely conduct research was an opportunity he could not have wished for. Thus, in 1978, at the age of 25, he moved to Takikawa.
My “blue-white porcelain” born in Takikawa
After conducting extensive research on glazes at the Ceramics Center, he came across translucent “blue-and-white” porcelain. In order to make the most of the color of this glaze, Kotaro-san switched from making pottery to white-skinned porcelain. There were almost no ceramic artists in Hokkaido who made porcelain, so he had to teach himself through trial and error. Perhaps that was a good thing. Normally, the goal with porcelain is to make it as thin as possible. But that was not his way. While kneading and shaping the clay to make something that no one else has done, he began to see beautiful forms, and managed to create works that were unique to him.
“Blue-white porcelain” and “yellow porcelain” are like brothers. The glaze is made from Chinese yellow clay, which contains a small amount of iron, and when it is fired with air, it becomes the creamy color of “yellow porcelain”, and when it is fired with carbon monoxide, it becomes the clear pale blue color of “blue-white porcelain”.
It is said that when Kotaro was making “blue-white porcelains”, he sometimes made mistakes and ended up with yellow, uneven pieces, but he was attracted by the softness of the color and began to make “yellow porcelains” too.
Around the time when Kotaro moved to Takikawa, there was a pottery craze sweeping the whole of Hokkaido, and more and more people were starting to take it up as a hobby. Pottery classes and small studios were springing up all over the place, but Hokkaido was never known for pottery. Usually, if one wants to become a potter, one goes on to study at an art college in the crafts department or chooses to train in a major pottery-producing area such as Mashiko, Tajimi or Shigaraki.
“In our era, if you wanted to, you could jump into any world you wanted, but now, considering the cost of living, it may be a difficult path to take. Even so, if you go to a production area, you’ll find young people there, and people from overseas are also coming to train. However, I think that craftsmen would want to do so in a relaxed environment like Hokkaido. They get inspiration from the scenery and climate that you can’t find in Tokyo.”
Kotaro’s work cycle involved teaching beginners and advanced students at the pottery center during the week and then creating his own work and holding solo exhibitions in Sapporo and Tokyo at the weekend. He trained at the Moncloa Pottery School in Spain in 1989 and in 2002 he won the Hamada Shoji Prize, the highest award at the Mashiko Pottery Exhibition, additionally he won many awards at national exhibitions. Some of his works are held in overseas museums, such as the Portland, New Orleans, Walters, and Oakland museums, and he has received high praise internationally.
“We’re eating out today” – A lifestyle of eating in the fields and mountains
Kotaro’s first impression of Hokkaido was that the sky was so wide, the air was so clear, and the colors were so vivid. At first, Kotaro had no intention of living in Takikawa for the rest of his life, but when he met up with Junko again, who had returned to her parents’ home in Asahikawa, and they got married, he was ready to make this place his permanent home. “In spring, the apple orchards in Ebeotsu come into bloom, and the view from Maruka plateau and the sunset over Mt. Shokanbetsu are also beautiful. [17.1.2025 edited] What’s more, it is a culturally rich area that has produced Japanese-style painter Iwahashi Eien and Western-style painter Ichiki Masuzo. I really like it as a place to live and work. I really wanted to raise my children here, but in the end, all three of my sons ended up moving to Sapporo or Tokyo, and none of them stayed here,” says Kotaro, smiling. Even so, the fact that one of his sons still comes to Ebeotsu once every two months from Tokyo to watch baseball games after work shows that his childhood memories of the area must have been pleasant.
The couple’s hobby is farming. They plant and harvest tomatoes, basil, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, edamame, daikon, carrots, garlic, and more. “Just messing around with the soil makes me feel better. Hokkaido has four distinct seasons, so I think that helps reset my mood,” says Kotaro. “At first, we rented an old farmhouse from a farmer, so I learned about farming while helping out with the work,” says Junko, who also makes her own compost. From the time they got married, the Ohno family rule was to eat meals together, no matter how busy they were. They would sometimes tell each other ‘Let’s eat out today,’ and have breakfast at Maruka Plateau, making onigiri (rice balls) or sandwiches if they had the time, while looking out over the fields from the balcony.
We’re only open three days a week
The gallery Tōi & café Orno next to her house opened in the summer of 2007. “In the past, it was my husband’s gallery, but I wanted to start this place so that people could see that the dishes and flowers can be used in everyday life,” says Junko. The menu features salads, pasta, pizza and desserts made with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables grown by the owner herself without the use of pesticides or herbicides, and other ingredients such as snow-crack rape blossoms, asparagus and pumpkins, which are purchased directly from local farmers. “The asparagus produced by the neighboring farmer is in season now. It’s thick, juicy and sweet, and whether served in the restaurant or given as a gift, it is so delicious that people can’t stop asking for more.”
Junko is currently obsessed with the cheese lessons she holds a couple of times a month. The six-session course teaches students the basics of cheese, including types, production, nutrition and history, as well as how to taste and store cheese, and students come from as far away as Ashibetsu, Fukagawa and Naihe. Junko, who obtained the qualification of wine expert certified by the Japan Sommelier Association when she started her shop, says that while studying about cheese from around the world as a marriage, she became “addicted to the process of aging and the interesting way the taste changes”. She also obtained the qualification of CPA certified cheese professional, and goes to seminars in Tokyo, “I went to Chavignol village in France for training, and I can’t forget the cheese I ate there. I want to try lots of different things, so even if the shop is closed, I won’t miss my lessons.” Both Kotaro and Junko are very calm and easy-going, but when it comes to their favorite things, they are both experts with similar attitudes.
Gallery Toukyo & café Orno
Address 832-1 Ebetsu-cho, Takikawa-shi, Hokkaido
