Tea bowl c. 20th century

Katō Takeshi made this tea bowl out of clay, sometime around now. What I love about this object is how it turns the idea of the perfect form inside out. See how the glaze is thick, almost gloopy, and pools in some areas while revealing the clay body beneath in others? The artist’s process feels so visible, not obscured at all. Those pale pink lines and circles, set against the mottled dark brown and gray ground, feel gestural. Like they were scratched in with a stick, like a Cy Twombly drawing! But instead of paint we have fire and earth combining. That rim is exquisite: irregular, uneven, and inviting. It's got that wabi-sabi thing going on, embracing imperfection. It reminds me that art is about the ongoing conversation between artists across time, and how we can find beauty in the unexpected.