Plate (ban) 2010

This is a Plate (ban) made by Tabuchi Tarō. This plate has had a life, hasn’t it? I see a kind of landscape in its surface, where the white fades into dark greys and browns. It reminds me of the kind of accidental images you get when you are not in control. The repair down the middle feels very deliberate. It doesn't try to hide the break, but instead highlights it. I can imagine the artist carefully considering the material, and how it would best convey a sense of time and transformation. It is like a scar. It's a testament to the object's history and resilience. I think of Lucie Rie's functional, yet beautifully imperfect ceramics, which are also all about process and the beauty of imperfection. Ultimately, art is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. It is about embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations.