White Porcelain That Ignites the Imagination

When we stand before Maeta's white porcelain, it feels as though its sculptural beauty is speaking directly to us. An unseen landscape, visible only to the mind's eye, seems to emerge from within. These white porcelain pieces are not mere vessels; they are works of art that stir the imagination—and that is precisely Maeta's intention.

"I believe that within the whiteness of white porcelain, there are five colors. Beyond just sensing color, I feel the finest pieces are those that can evoke a range of images as the light and shadows shift from morning to noon to night. I work with white porcelain every day, striving to get closer to that ideal."

Since China's Tang dynasty, the technique of intentionally not painting has been established and highly praised as a form of expression, just as much as painting itself. Maeta believes there is something in the form of a white vessel that allows one to feel the beauty of empty space, enriching the soul.

"For instance, in monochrome woodblock prints or ink wash paintings, artists depict snow-covered trees and mountain paths. It's fascinating how the unpainted 'empty space,' combined with the white of the washi paper, creates the illusion of accumulated snow. It's also wonderful to imagine that beneath the snow, new buds are getting ready to herald the arrival of spring."

The aesthetic of empty space was by no means confined to painting. Maeta realized that the whiteness of the porcelain is, in itself, that empty space, capable of evoking countless images and emotions.