Toru Kikuchi Solo Exhibition "Friction"
September 19 - 27, 2026
In a modern world covered in homogeneity and smoothness, what is the meaning of time carved by handwork?
Potter Toru Kikuchi’s pottery making begins with confronting a constant "mass of clay" that has been precisely measured.
After centering the clay on the potter's wheel, a quiet reciprocating motion deliberately betrays the unconscious inertia—the "handクセ (tekuse)"—that the hands remember, introducing distortion.
This process, which rejects the contours of a predictable harmony, creates subtle friction between the clay and the body, and is expressed in the character of the vessel.
The works presented in this exhibition are a collection of pieces with the dry texture of clay, quietly stripped of ornamentation.
While possessing a primal presence, they also house meticulously calculated geometry and the quiet wisdom of a daily tool.
Shapes, no two alike, that appear in the space between the unconscious and the conscious.
Please feel the movement of the distant time carved into the clay with your own hands.
Dates | September 19th (Sat) – September 27th (Sun), 2026
Hours | 12:00–18:00
Closed | 9/22 (Tue), 9/23 (Wed)
Artist present | 9/19 (Sat)
＜Toru Kikuchi＞
Born 1974 in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture
After graduating from design school, studied pottery at the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Instruction Center
After studying under Hisanori Fujimoto, became independent in Kasama
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