A traveller connecting earth and poetry: Bernard Leach and the bridge between folk art
"A Traveler Connecting Earth and Poetry: A Bridge Between Bernard Leach and Mingei"
Bernard Leach is a ceramic artist born in England and raised in Japan.
He was a traveller who connected the beauty of East and West.
His encounter with Yanagi Muneyoshi greatly changed his life, and he embarked on a creative path deeply rooted in the idea of folk art.
[Childhood and ties to Japan]
Born in Hong Kong in 1887, Leach spent his childhood in Kyoto.
Cherry blossoms, the taste of pickled radish, fish in a bucket - the Japanese landscape was imprinted in his memory with all five senses.
He then returned to England and studied etching at art school, where he developed a growing admiration for Japanese culture.
[The encounter between the Shirakaba school and Yanagi Soetsu]
In 1909, Leach returned to Japan, settling in Ueno, Tokyo, and developing close friendships with the young Shirakaba-ha artists.
His encounter with Yanagi Muneyoshi was fateful.
He resonated with Yanagi's philosophy of "beauty in utility" and came to share his eye for discovering the beauty that resides in everyday items.
[My encounter with pottery and the St. Ives studio]
In 1911, Leach experienced painting Raku ware and became captivated by the charm of pottery.
He built a kiln in Abiko, where the Yanagi residence is located, and began making pottery with Hamada Shoji.
In 1920, he returned to the UK with Hamada and established Leach Pottery in St Ives, Cornwall.
He introduced Japanese climbing kilns and created works that combined Eastern and Western techniques.
[Works and Thoughts - "A Potter's Book"]
A Potter's Book, published in 1940, is both a technical guide to pottery and a philosophical work on life and beauty.
Leach said, "Pottery is an art that lives in everyday life," and spread the spirit of Mingei throughout the world.
[The Japan Folk Crafts Museum and After]
Leach was deeply involved in the establishment of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum and continued to support Yanagi Soetsu's ideas.
Approximately 120 of his works are in the collection of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum, and they display a fusion of Western pottery, such as slipware, and Eastern ceramics.
[The Beauty of Reach: A Vessel as a Bridge]
Bernard Leach's pottery transcends borders and is a part of people's lives.
It is a "vessel of poetry" that connects East and West, art and everyday life, thought and practicality.
His life itself was a journey that embodied the spirit of Mingei.