After his study of Sociology at Yokohama National University, finally, Ryuichiro Kawase decided to be a Ceramist and came back to his hometown Nagasaki in the southern part of Japan, where he has his atelier.

There are many kinds of ceramists; their interests are very different.
Some are looking for the forms, designs of ceramic, or colour, paintings on the ceramic, or to make casual ceramic for the table wear, or very traditional especially for the Tea Ceremony.

Ryuichiro Kawase, the choice of his ceramic work is now, he gives much more value for the Tea, and Ceremony of tea, like teacups, bowls.
For that, he works from the stones to prepare his clay, first to break, smash, crush rocks to make his powder to mix with other soil.

Ryuichiro Kawase
E: ryuichiro7@gmail.com

As many ceramists, he also practices tea ceremony for many years, and this year at Dubrovnik, with his friends coming from Nagasaki, they will do the demonstration of tea ceremony… The sculpture is an expression of gratitude to the tea whisk, the little bamboo tube that is meticulously split halfway into dozens of fine prongs that are then pulled apart with cotton string into two rows forming a perfect bell-shape. Years of training and hours of effort go into each handmade tea whisk. To the sajin (tea ceremony practitioner), the tea whisk is not only an indispensable tool but also a symbol of the worldview underpinning the art of chanoyu, namely the appreciation of transcendent beauty in simple things. During Japan’s period of isolation (1641-1858), Nagasaki was the only port where trade with Europe and China flourished.
The city is also a birthplace of Japanese green tea, and you can enjoy the original Samurai-style green tea ceremony at the Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnik.

These 9 membars are : Ryuichiro Kawase (M), Chikako Ogawa (F), Keiko Fujiyama (F), Hirohumi Motoyama (M), Takae Motoyama (F), Masaaki Shinoda (M), Shinichi Ogawa (M), Nobuhiro Takahara (M), Sachiko Takahara (F).