何謂日式？何謂中式？如何定義當代陶藝的風格？我們必須要承認當代陶藝的風格是曖昧不明的。我們經常被問到一個問題，大家初接觸或看到我們的作品時都會問：「這算是日式的陶藝風格嗎？」我猜想是因為在大家的第一印象裏，我們的陶作不論是物料，還是釉色，都不像是中式傳統陶瓷器的樣式和質感，又彷彿帶點日式陶藝的質樸感覺，於是就很容易產生這樣的疑問。
然而，這個問題也不是可以簡單地回答呢。作為一個陶藝家，我們必須負責任地跟大家解釋一下怎麼區分所謂「風格」。今篇文章就嘗試和大家分享一下我們認為中式和日式陶藝作品可以怎樣觀看和區分；還有如何理解當代陶藝作品，即使處於曖昧之間，卻是有跡可尋的。
受兩地文化和技術影響的日式陶藝
日本的陶瓷技術在17世紀末至19世紀初從中國及朝鮮引進，所以傳統的日本陶瓷大多受中國影響。以青花瓷為例，日本的青花瓷稱為染付，傳統的染付器物大多出自古伊萬里。起初的伊萬里瓷器都是仿製景德鎮的青花瓷器作出口銷售之用，後來民間開始建立出一些紋飾。這些紋飾大多是圖案化的吉祥紋樣，例如七寶紋、網目紋等；花卉紋中的菱纹、唐草纹，麻の葉紋，松紋等，漸漸發展出較為鮮明的特色，比較中國的青花瓷，則大多是描繪精緻的山水、鳥獸、花草、人物。所以我們可以按陶瓷上的紋飾風格來分辨傳統日式及中式的器物。兩者顔色和質感雖然有相似的地方，但我們還是可以從中感覺到他們截然不同的氣質。
從傳統中得到學習 同時擺脫傳統的枷鎖
再以製作樂燒茶碗為名的樂吉佐衛門為例，當時在室町時代，普遍的陶工和茶人都在追求工整、精緻、色彩紋飾的茶碗，他們的第一代長次郎卻捨棄拉坯的方法，用手捏技巧製作出不工整及純黑色的黑樂茶碗。那時候他製作的黑樂茶碗被稱為「現代的茶碗」，被視為前衛的藝術作品。
樂吉佐衛門歷代傳人在繼承長次郎的技法及背後的靈性與美學意識之餘，都在追求自己獨特的表現。他們在樂家的傳統精神基礎上，融入不同時代的氣息讓傳統及創新並存。第十五代更把樂家的精神推上另一個層次，把美學意識放在空間及建築上，建造出代表着樂吉佐衛門的茶室（位於滋賀縣守山市佐川美術館）。
在2019年，我們到訪過佐川美術館的茶室，茶室空間充分地展現了樂家的美學意識，漆黑的空間裏使用了不同材質的黑色物料，展現出黑色的不同層次。空間亦巧妙地利用了微弱的自然光，好像在觀看黑樂茶碗釉面時所反射出來的一點微光一樣。從歷代繼承人的作品中，可以看到他們從古以來秉承的「守破離」精神。
跳脫的當代陶藝 意念無邊界
今時今日的當代陶藝，我認為很難再用上述的思維去分辨所謂日式及中式的風格。由於當代陶藝作品已不再局限於傳統的製陶技巧、物料以及展示方式；同一個地方的陶藝家都可以創作出不同風格的作品，若用「日式」、「中式」去分辨當代陶藝作品會變得過於單調。
我們認為當代的陶藝作品大致上可以以下幾個大方向去切入：物料試驗、形態展現、釉色探索、燒製方式等等。另外，我們可以從當代陶藝家的作品中看到他們的創作方向和意念，相比起用「⋯式」的風格去形容，用這樣的方向去閱讀和理解當代作品會更加貼切。
當代陶藝作品在整個藝術市場較為邊緣化，這個現象也不是毫無道理的，相比起其他媒介，閱讀陶藝作品感覺上對觀眾的要求比較高，除了從技術上有一定的了解，還需要從文化上對傳統陶藝有基本的認知，才能夠更深入更完整地理解到作品。
但作為創作者的我們，其實同時也是觀眾。我覺得不論是怎樣的風格和技巧，能夠和觀眾產生共鳴和連結的作品，就是好作品。我們渴望可以在本地或世界各地看見更多的可能性。回想起我們從學院畢業到建立梨木製陶所至今，一路走來經年累月地創作，慢慢醞釀。儘管香港被稱為文化沙漠，儘管這裏的確不是一個容易生存的地方，然而近年的確是多了不少陶室和創作者，甚至讓我們可以舉辦到屬於香港本地的陶藝節「一本地陶」；此地可貴在匯聚也包容多元的文化，讓我們可以不受傳統和固有文化的束縛、更自由地去實現我們的所思所想。我們希望不論往後在何時何地，都可以看到越來越多各式各樣的陶藝創作能夠被看見和欣賞，遍地開花。
我們的創作很多時都是啟發自中國、日本、朝鮮的傳統文化、器型及技巧。希望表現出一種東方美學的意識。
A lot of times, our works take inspiration from traditional cultures, forms and techniques from China, Japan and Korea. We hope to express an Eastern/oriental aesthetic consciousness.
What is Japanese ceramics? Or Chinese? How do we define the styles of contemporary ceramic art? We must admit that the styles are ambiguous. When people see our work, they often ask, “Is this a Japanese style of ceramic art?” I guess their query arises from their first impression – neither the material nor the glaze resembles traditional Chinese ceramics, plus it seems to be rustic like Japanese ceramics.
There is no easy answer to this question. As a ceramic artist, we ought to responsibly explain how to distinguish between ‘styles’. Through this article, we attempt to share how we see and distinguish between Chinese and Japanese styles of ceramic art, as well as how we understand contemporary ceramic art; even though there is ambiguity, it is possible to find traces for understanding.
Japanese Pottery as Influenced by the Cultures and Technologies of Two Countries
Ceramic manufacturing technology was introduced to Japan from China and Korea between the late 17th and early 19th centuries, so traditional Japanese ceramics are mostly influenced by China. For instance, Japanese blue and white pottery is called dyefu (染付) and most traditional dyefu ware come from ancient Imari. Initially, Imari ware imitated Jingdezhen porcelain for purposes of export and sales, but later, people started to develop their own patterns for decoration. These decorative patterns are mostly auspicious, like the ‘seven treasures’ and mesh patterns; among floral patterns, those such as the hishi (diamond), karakusa (winding plant), asanoha (hemp leaves), and ichimatsu (checkered) patterns have gradually developed more distinctive characteristics. In contrast, Chinese blue and white pottery consists mostly of exquisite depictions of landscapes, animals, plants and people. Thus, we can distinguish between traditional Japanese and Chinese ware based on the kinds of patterns on them. There are similarities between their colour and texture, but we can still feel the different characters they exhibit.
Learning from Tradition while Breaking Away from its Shackles
Let’s look at another example: The Raku family that is famous for their Raku tea bowls. During the Muromachi period (from approximately 1336 to 1573), most potters and tea makers looked for tea bowls that were neat, delicate and coloured. However, Chōjirō, the first head of the Raku family, shunned wheel-throwing techniques to handbuild irregular and black tea bowls. At that time, people regarded his tea bowls as avant-garde artwork and called them ‘the modern tea bowls’ (ima-yaki).
While later generations inherit Chōjirō’s techniques as well as the spirit and aesthetic consciousness of his work, they also attempt to find their own unique artistic expression. Building on the traditional Raku spirit, they incorporate flavours of different eras so that tradition and innovation coexist. The 15th generation even raised the Raku spirit to another level by extending its aesthetic consciousness to the use of space and architecture through building the Raku Tearoom (located at Sagawa Art Museum, Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture).
In 2019, we visited the tearoom in Sagawa Art Museum which fully embodies the aesthetic consciousness of Raku. The dark space of the tearoom consists of black materials of varying textures to exhibit layers of blackness. The space also makes clever use of dim natural light which mirrors the gentle glimmer of the glazed surface of black Raku tea bowls. Across generations of the Raku family, we see from their work that they have inherited the Shuhari spirit (Shu (守) “protect”, ha (破) “detach”, ri (離) “leave”).
Contemporary Ceramics – Think Out of the Box
It is difficult to apply the thought process explained above to ceramics of this day and distinguish between the so-called Japanese and Chinese styles. Contemporary ceramic art is no longer confined by traditional techniques, materials and forms of exhibition; ceramic artists of the same place can create works of different styles. It would be overly simplistic to use labels like ‘Japanese’ and ‘Chinese’ to distinguish between them.
We think one can approach contemporary ceramic artworks from these general exploratory directions: material, shape/form, glaze colour, ways of firing etc. Also, we can see from contemporary ceramic artworks their creators’ creative and artistic conception; such comprehension and understanding would be more relevant to the artworks than attempts to put them in neat boxes labelled certain ‘styles’.
Contemporary ceramic artworks are comparatively marginalised in the art market. This phenomenon makes sense because appreciation of them requires more of the beholder/audience compared to other artistic mediums. In-depth and holistic understanding of a piece demands not only one’s understanding of the techniques of ceramic making but also one’s cultural knowledge concerning traditional ceramics.
As creators, we are also members of the audience. Regardless of style and techniques, I think any piece that can connect with the audience and create resonance is good. We hope to see more possibilities both locally and internationally. Since college graduation and establishing Toki Nashiki up until now, we have engaged in the creative process and let our ideas develop month after month and year after year. Even though Hong Kong is regarded as a cultural desert, and even though it is indeed challenging to survive in this city, the number of ceramic studios and creators have grown in recent years – to the point that we could organise a local ceramics festival called ‘HK Local Ceramic Art Fair’. What’s valuable here is that we can gather and accommodate diverse cultures, so we need not be confined by tradition and customs but freely realise our ideas. Like flowers blooming everywhere, we hope that more and more diverse ceramic creations get seen and appreciated in the future, no matter when or where.
關於梨木製陶所
陶瓷作為媒介， 創作實用器物。器物創作存在於藝術與設計模糊的界線之間，二人以此作為切入點，重新思考自身對當代陶藝的理解與定義，創作出以生活為本、能經歷時間的器物作品。
About Toki Nashiki
With ceramics as the medium, we create practical ware/utensils. Such creation exists between the blurry line of art and design, where the two of us start to rethink our understanding and definition of contemporary ceramics, thereby creating practical ware that is grounded in daily life and stands the test of time.
