Miyanaga Rikichi, Miyanaga Tozan III, The Blue Corridor, 1992, Porcelain

Miyanaga Rikichi, Miyanaga Tozan III, The Blue Corridor, 1992

This wall plaque, titled The Blue Corridor and created in 1992 by Miyanaga Tozan III (Rikichi), reflects the artist’s subtle and poetic approach to porcelain. The surface is dominated by an intense blue glaze that shifts between azure and cobalt tones, enhancing motifs of faintly raised lines and circles with incisions.
This deep blue is not uniform; it seems to glide and blend into powdery nuances, lighter and darker, evoking plays of light and shadow that might appear in a corridor bathed in muted light. The abstract details on the surface give the work a pictorial quality, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in its visual intricacies. Discreetly signed in the lower right corner, the plaque, measuring 45 x 27.5 cm, is set in an elegant black lacquered wooden frame with rounded upper edges. This custom-made frame enhances the refined and introspective nature of the piece, with overall dimensions of 65 x 47.5 x 5 cm.

Born in Kyoto in 1935, Miyanaga Rikichi is the son of Miyanaga Tozan II. He graduated from the Faculty of Sculpture at Kyoto City University of Arts, briefly continuing his studies before leaving for the United States in 1960. There, he explored new artistic horizons at the Art Students League in New York and immersed himself in contemporary trends. Returning to Japan in the 1960s, he moved away from classical ceramic traditions, adopting a more sculptural and experimental approach. He joined the renowned S?deisha group, celebrated for its avant-garde ceramic innovations.

In the decades that followed, Miyanaga Tozan III developed a unique artistic language, blending traditional techniques with contemporary expressions.
A master of sometsuke and seihakuji glazes, he successfully infused modern vitality into ancestral practices.

His works have been widely exhibited in Japan and abroad, including at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto and Tokyo, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

In 1999, he officially assumed the name Miyanaga Tozan III, thus solidifying a prestigious lineage of potters. This title not only reflects his technical mastery but also his remarkable contribution to the renewal of Japanese ceramics.