Born in Tokoname in 1931, Shigeo Sawada designed and made some of Hishoku kiln’s most distinctive modernist ikebana vases, characterised by multiple apertures and bold architectural forms.
Earlier this year, I visited Mr. Sawada with Mr. Waichiro Shibayama, Hishoku’s last CEO. These firsthand interviews established direct attribution for designs that have circulated for decades with little recorded authorship.
This research forms part of my ongoing work to document Hishoku and preserve the overlooked history of Japan’s modernist ikebana kilns.
View my visit with Shigeo Sawada on Instagram.