HEIRLOOMS OF THE FUTURE
For ceramic artist Kensuke Fujiyoshi, the Japanese term, , sits at the heart of his work. It sums up, in a word, the philosophy of his making, and the inspiration for the decorated porcelain boxes, topped with animal figurines, that he has become renowned for, both here in the UK and in his native Japan. Google Translate gives the English definition as a ‘copy’, ‘duplicate’ or ‘facsimile’, but if ever there was a case of meaning being lost in translation, here is a prime example. ‘Emulation’, ‘inspiration’ or ‘attribution’ as suggested by Wikipedia might come closer. Utsushi is a tradition of respecting and learning from the masters of the past,on time-honoured styles and techniques. Or, as Kensuke puts it, ‘It doesn’t mean making’ degraded copies, but making superior objects, exceeding the original. What I’ve been doing since I started making my own work is the utsushi of old master pieces of Hizen jiki, also known as Old Imari.’
