Gallery in Karatsu

This is the private gallery of a ceramic artist in Karatsu, Saga, Kyushu, Japan. The artist's 150-year-old birthplace, the residence of his predecessors, was renovated and reborn as a place to present the current state of Karatsu ware, focusing on the works of three successive generations.

In this renovation, we tried to create a new spatial structure with the following five rebirths as the framework.
1, Reborn: To breathe new life into the space
2, Reserve: To reevaluate the existing valuable things and leave them in a different form.
3, Respect: To learn from the traditional techniques of Karatsu ware and apply local architectural techniques.
4, Remember: To leave a cultural and climatic footprint that remembers this place.
5, Relay: To make the connection between the old and the new visible in the space.

The exhibition space is divided into five sections, each of which is designed differently so that visitors can confront the works in various ways, such as looking at them, staring at them, touching them, and feeling them with their five senses. Starting with Room 1, where visitors can get a bird's eye view of the history of Karatsu-yaki, the flow of the exhibition is deepened by moving on to Room 3 (tatami room), where visitors can experience Karatsu-yaki firsthand through tea ceremonies and meals, and Room 5 (storehouse), which is filled with the aura of the 400-year-old Tarouemon kiln.

It is significant that the house, which was once a place for socializing limited to family members, has been transformed into a place of openness and a new space for cultural exchange. This is not only for the purpose of passing on tradition, but also for the purpose of making valuable assets common property of society.





佐賀県唐津市に建つ陶芸作家の私設ギャラリーである。築150年になる作家の生家であり、先代・先々代が暮らしてきた住居を改修し、歴代3代の作品を中心として唐津焼の今を発信する場として生まれ変わった。

本改修は下の5つの再生を骨格としながら、新しい空間構成を試みることとなった。
①   Reborn：新しい命を吹き込むこと
②   Reserve：既存の価値あるものを再評価し別の形で残すこと
③   Respect：唐津焼の伝統技術に習い、地場の建築技術を応用すること
④   Remember：この場所を記憶に留める文化や風土の足跡を残すこと
⑤   Relay：新旧の繋がりが空間に可視化されること

展示空間を5つに分け、眺める・見つめる・触れる・五感で感じるなど、作品と多様な向き合い方ができるようにそれぞれ異なる設えとした。唐津焼の歴史を俯瞰する展示室１に始まり、茶事や食事を通して唐津焼を肌で感じる展示室３（座敷）、400年の太郎右衛門窯のオーラに満ちた展示室５（蔵）へと作品との関係性を深めていく流れを作っている。

家族に限った社交の場として時を刻んだ住宅が、開かれた場となり文化を発信し新しい交流の空間に生まれ変わった意義は大きい。それは伝統を継承するという目的に留まらず、貴重な資産を社会の共有財産とする目的にも叶うものである。





>中里太郎右衛門窯