"Momoko Otani Exhibition" 1/25 (Sat) - 28 (Tue) @FOOD FOR THOUGHT Uehara Store

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Uehara will be holding ceramic artist Momoko Otani's first solo exhibition at our store from Saturday, January 25 to Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

On the first day, Saturday, January 25, Momoko will be present all day. This is a rare opportunity to get hints for choosing your artwork. Fans, don't miss it!

When creating painted tableware, the most efficient method is to decide on the dimensions and then draw the pictures "to fit the size and shape" of the plates molded on a potter's wheel or with a mold. However, many of the works Momoko sent us this time had the plates freely changing shape "to fit the pictures." It's as if the earth forms a frame that gently envelops the organic patterns of the expansive and delicate plants.

Upon seeing this, the shop owner immediately recalled the words "Think outside the box" that his professor wrote on the board during his first class at an American university where he studied abroad.

In short, it means to use your thoughts and ideas without being confined by your own framework, and it's a phrase particularly often used in America. It was difficult for me, as a Japanese person, but it's actually an indispensable way of thinking for free and active communication. This is an important phrase that has greatly influenced the shop owner's life thereafter, and I was moved to feel such expansive creativity in Momoko's works this time.

I wondered if Momoko, who lived in America for a long time, also recalled "Think outside the box" this time...

Thinking about it that way, I realized that the dimensions in ceramic art directly represent the "limits of one's thinking." If you aim to make a 7-sun piece, only 7-sun thoughts will emerge. Of course, that's correct in its own way, but you set a limit for yourself, and nothing more can be created beyond that.

Momoko's plants began to move freely, unconstrained by size or shape. Naturally, each piece is a unique creation, hand-drawn stroke by stroke by Momoko. This is a once-in-a-lifetime collection that you absolutely must see.

Above all, Momoko's vessels have a splendor when food is served on them. We often hear customers who already use them say, "The food looks delicious."

True to those words, the vessels don't just enhance the food; the organic framing created by the warm and gentle brushwork connects the vessel and the food. At first glance, they might seem to suit ethnic cuisine, which they certainly do, but they also beautifully complement classic Japanese dishes like kinpira, grilled fish, and karaage, creating a different kind of scenery than usual.

And the yunomi and tea cups fit comfortably in the hand, making the tea feel wrapped in soft tenderness, warming the heart.

Once you use Momoko's vessels, you will surely be captivated by their indescribable comfort.

Please look forward to and anticipate this exhibition.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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"Momoko Otani Exhibition"
January 25 (Sat) - January 28 (Tue), 2025
11:00 - 18:00 (No reservation required all day)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Uehara
1B, 2-33-4 Uehara, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0064
03-6416-8294

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