Morimitsu HOSOKAWA
LIVING WITH TEA｜ "I went and played, you know!"

Since Morimitsu Hosokawa began his journey as a ceramic artist, 26 years have passed. In recent years, he has also taken on the role of chief priest at Izumi Shrine in Kumamoto, a place deeply connected to the Hosokawa family.

Serving the gods and working with clay, his dual devotion seems to connect heaven and earth through his very being.

In 2019, Morimitsu participated in our annual “New Tea Exhibition” (Shincha Ten). After this exhibition, we invited him to hold a solo show. Despite his busy schedule, his response was strikingly clear and resonant, like the beat of a drum, filling the air with clarity: “Gladly. I would like to do something I have never done before. I’ve always wanted to try making hand-molded teacups.”

A few weeks ago, the first teacups arrived. When I saw the teacups he sent this time, I couldn’t help but touch them immediately. Each hand-molded piece is unique and has a strong individual presence.

The surface is shaped by pressing the inside with a wooden spatula and stretching the outside using a wooden board, creating a bold yet balanced form. Looking inside, you can see the traces left by his fingers as he smoothed the clay. 
Each time you see or touch these pieces, they evoke fresh impressions-like gazing at flowers or trees anew. Touching them feels akin to shaking hands with Hosokawa himself. The pottery exudes a naturalness reminiscent of a flower bud bursting open. It’s impossible not to sense something profound that has changed in Morimitsu’s work over the last six years.

This year’s New Tea Exhibition will feature Morimitsu Hosokawa and his latest works, fired in the climbing kiln of Minami Aso. The exhibition includes many hand-molded teacups as the centerpiece, along with tabi chawan (tea bowls for traveling), red raku plates, small jars, and small flower vases—all reflecting Morimitsu’s creative freedom and growth.

Morimitsu HOSOKAWA｜細川護光
Born in Tokyo in 1972. In 1999, he began studying under Masatake Fukumori at the Doraku Kiln in Iga, Mie Prefecture. After spending time at his father’s ceramic workshop, Futoan, in Yugawara, he opened his own kiln in Kumamoto in 2006. The following year, he built a noborigama in Minami Aso. Since then, while based in Kumamoto, he has held solo exhibitions in various locations.