Jul 22, '18

Fabulous artwork by Hashimoto Tomonari

Fabulous artwork by young Japanese ceramic artist Hashimoto Tomonari @hashimoto_tomonari and an excerpt about shadows from Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s book “In praise in shadows”, perfectly describing the importance of shadows in the Japanese aesthetics .”Whenever I see the alcove of tastefully built Japanese room, I marvel at our comprehension of the secret of shadows, our sensitive use of shadow and light. For the beauty of the alcove is not the work of some clever device. An empty space is marked off with plain wood and plain walls, so that the light drawn into it forms dim shadows within emptiness. There is nothing more. And yet, when we gaze into the darkness that gathers behind the crossbeam, around the flower vase, beneath the shelves, though we know perfectly well it is mere shadow, we are overcome with a feeling that in this small corner of the atmosphere there reigns complete and utter silence, that here in the darkness immutable tranquillity holds away… And even we as children would feel an expressible chill as we peered into the depths of an alcove to which the sunlight had never penetrated. Where lies the key to this mystery? Ultimately it is the magic of shadows. Were the shadows to be banished from its corners, the alcove would be in that instant revert to mere void.”

Artwork by Hashimoto Tomonari
Artwork by Hashimoto Tomonari
Artwork by Hashimoto Tomonari
Artwork by Hashimoto Tomonari
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