Jun Isezaki

• Designation
  Living National Treasure (Important Intangible Cultural Property for Bizen ware)
• Category
  Ceramics
• Techniques
  Bizen ware
• Born
  1936 -
• Based in
  Okayama
• Membership
  Full member, Japan Kogei Association
  TOBI, the Ceramic Art Society of Japan

Biography

• 1936
  Born as the second son of ceramic artist ISEZAKI Yozan in 2207 Inbe, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture
• 1959
  Graduated from the Special Department of Art in the Faculty of Education at the Okayama University. Studied ceramics together with his brother Mitsuru under his father ISEZAKI Yozan
• 1960
  Worked as a teacher in Bizen High School from September to March of the following year
• 1961
  His father passed away in February. Established a semi-underground anagama kiln with his brother in May
  Two-men exhibition in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka
  Submitted to the 8th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
• 1966
  Full member, Japan Kogei Association
• 1971
  Toured Europe
• 1975
  Submitted to the “Bizen Millenium Exhibition” hosted by Mainichi Shimbun
• 1976
  Submitted to the “Japanese Bizen Wares Hagi Exhibition” hosted by the Tokyo Shimbun and the Gotoh Museum
• 1978
  Lecturer at the Special Department of Art in the Faculty of Education at the Okayama University (up until 1987)
• 1979
  Toured the USA
• 1981
  Invited to submit to the “Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exhibition” at the National Museum of History, Taiwan
• 1982
  Visited India
  Invited to submit to the “Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exhibition” at the Hong Kong Urban Council and the Hong Kong Museum of Art
• 1983
  Invited to submit to the 1st Japan Traditional Art Crafts Selection Exhibition hosted by Mainichi Shimbun
• 1985
  Produced a ceramic mural for the Seishin Gakuen 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall
• 1986
  Submitted to the “Kazuo Yagi Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition”
• 1989
  Produced a ceramic mural for the Kobe University of Commerce entrance hall
• 1992
  Produced a ceramic mural for the Okayama Sanyo Hospital Fujisaki-en
• 1997
  Submitted to the “Bizen Wares – a Thousand Years of Traditional Beauty Exhibition” (Musée National de Céramique)
• 1998
  Director at the Japan Kogei Association
  Chief Secretary at the Japan Kogei Association Chugoku Branch
  Designated as an Okayama Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property
• 2002
  Produced a ceramic mural for the new Prime Minister’s Office of Japan
• 2003
  Submitted to the “Crafting Modern Beauty in Japan Exhibition” (Japan Traditional Art Crafts 50th Anniversary Exhibition)
• 2004
  Submitted to the “Charm of Bizen Wares Exhibition” at the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
  Designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property
• 2005
  “Bizen, Light of Clay and Flame, Jun Isezaki” was published by Sanyo Shimbun
• 2006
  Submitted to the “Japanese Ceramics – 100 Years of Beauty Exhibition” at the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
  Submitted to the Living National Treasure Exhibition hosted by NHK, and toured around the country
  Family exhibition at Boston, USA
  Supported by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University, and Japan Society
  Produced a ceramic mural for the entrance hall of the new Sanyo Shimbun office building
• 2007
  Submitted to the “Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan – Celebrating 50 Years of the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition” at the British Museum
• 2008
  Solo exhibition in Heidelberg and Frankfurt Museum of Arts & Crafts, Germany
  Executive Director at the Japan Kogei Association
• 2011
  Solo exhibition in Heidelberg, Germany
• 2012
  Solo exhibition titled “Listening to the Voice of the Earth” at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi
• 2013
  4-men Living National Treasure Exhibition in London, UK

Awards

• 1981
  Received the Kaneshige Toyo Award
• 1987
  Received the Excellence Award at the Tanabe Museum of Art “Arts of the Tea Ceremony” Exhibition
• 1993
  Received the Okayama Cultural Incentive Award
• 1996
  Received the Sanyo Shimbun Award (Cultural Service)
• 2004
  Received the Okayama Prefecture Miki Memorial Award
• 2005
  Received the Okayama Cultural Award