Kiyomizu Rokubei: 250 Years of Ceramic Expression from Kyoto at Dai Ichi Arts, New York
September 10-24, 2026
Dai Ichi Arts is pleased to present Kiyomizu Rokubei: 250 Years of Ceramic Expression from Kyoto, an exhibition celebrating one of Japan’s most distinguished ceramic dynasties. On the occasion of Asia Week New York, September 2026, the show brings together works from the fifth through eighth generations of the Kiyomizu Rokubei family, tracing a lineage of innovation, experimentation, and artistic renewal spanning over two centuries.
Based in Kyoto since the mid-Edo period, the Rokubei family has sustained its through continual ceramic reinvention across generations. As the sixth Rokubei observed, “This family has endured because each generation has worked in its own way.” Across the exhibition, visitors will encounter the remarkable individuality of four generations, from the fifth Rokubei’s synthesis of classical Japanese ceramics, Western-inspired glazes, and modern design, to the sixth generation’s richly varied decorative surfaces and refined engagement with painting, line, and nature.
The seventh Rokubei, originally trained in architecture and metal casting, introduced a radical sculptural language based on slab construction, apertures, cuts, and the expressive movement of clay during firing. His son, the current eighth-generation artist Kiyomizu Rokubei, Masahiro, extends this legacy through architecturally conceived forms that bend, warp, and shift under gravity and heat. Reflective lusters and deep black glazes further activate the surrounding space, placing his work firmly within contemporary ceramic practice. This group of works aim to reveal a tradition defined by an inherited spirit of continuous innovation.
The exhibition catalogue features a significant new essay on the ceramic dynasty by Daicho Tomohiro, Senior Curator at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. In-print publications will be available to purchase at the gallery.
Kiyomizu Rokubei: 250 Years of Ceramic Expression from Kyoto will open at Dai Ichi Arts in New York City. Kiyomizu Rokubei (Masahiro) will travel from Kyoto for the occasion and will be present at the gallery for the opening reception on September 10. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the vitality of the Rokubei name across generations, past and present.
Contact
info@daiichiarts.com
Dai Ichi Arts Ltd.
18 East 64th Street, Suite 1F
New York, NY 10065
United States
Photos courtesy of the gallery
