Follow the steps of the master ceramists accompanied by a portuguese.
The presence of Japanese ceramics in Brazil is strongly linked to the Japanese immigration to the country after the Second World War, which was centered in the state of Sao Paulo. Despite the history of Japanese immigration to Brazil has started in the early twentieth century (the first boat of immigrants, consisting mainly of farmers, arrived in Santos in 1908), only after World War II immigrants who enter here were physicians (such as technicians and craftsmen ), but also many artists, from painters to potters and sculptors. The latter tried to escape the rigid precepts of Japanese tradition and develop their artistic and personal expression with greater freedom.
The place where many of these artists settled was the interior of São Paulo. Potters needed plenty of space and proximity to nature to collect the clay and glazes. At the time (the 60 and 70) the interior of Sao Paulo was still sparsely settled (in fact, the timing coincides with the boom of urbanization and industrialization that struck the city of Sao Paulo and only much later expands to the inside ). The interior of the state constituted then as the ideal place to build studios with huge Noborigama called traditional kilns (ovens consisting of various cameras and taking advantage of built in steep terrain).
Today, we can still find many of these early potters in cities such as Mogi das Cruzes, london, Itapecerica da Serra, Cotia and Cunha. The Granja Viana in Cotia, is today one of the areas of concentration of artists in the areas of visual arts, dance, music and photography, including several Japanese artists and their descendants. One of the first artists to settle here was a veteran of potters Shoko Suzuki, now 82 years, with a studio at the Grange since 1966, by which time the oven Noborigama also built with the help of her husband, the late painter Yukio Suzuki.
A place worth visiting is the studio-Earth Beauty School in Granja Viana, founded by Ivone Shirahata, disciple of Shoko Suzuki. In addition to the personal artist's studio, the space hosts an annual festival of Ceramic Art, to be held this year between 1st and 4th of December. There visitors can watch demonstrations of burning, watching movies on ceramics and buy tools and equipment, as well as artistic and utilitarian ceramics.
But is in the city of Cunha, located halfway between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which is considered today the pole of Japanese ceramics in Brazil. The establishment of Japanese artists on the site began in the 70s, and thereafter, many other potters settled around with their studios. The Portuguese Alberto Cidraes and Japanese Ukeseki Mieko are the only ones from the original group established in 1975, that still have their studios there with Noborigama ovens. The opening of the furnaces in Cunha is a famous tourist attraction and it happens in the studio of Suenaga & Gardener several times a year. The next opening will be held on the 3rd of December .
Hoje, ainda podemos encontrar muitos destes primeiros ceramistas em cidades como Mogi das Cruzes, Atibaia, Itapecerica da Serra, Cotia e Cunha. A Granja Viana, em Cotia, é hoje um dos espaços de concentração de vários artistas, nas áreas das artes plásticas, dança, música e fotografia, entre os quais vários artistas japoneses e descendentes. Uma das primeiras artistas a se instalar ali foi a veterana das ceramistas Shoko Suzuki, hoje com 82 anos, com ateliê na Granja desde 1966, época em que construiu também o forno Noborigama, com a ajuda do marido, o já falecido pintor Yukio Suzuki.
Um lugar que vale a pena visitar é o ateliê-escola Terra Bela, na Granja Viana, fundado por Ivone Shirahata, discípula de Shoko Suzuki. Para além de ateliê pessoal da artista, o espaço abriga um festival anual de Arte Cerâmica, a ser realizado este ano entre 1 e 4 de Dezembro. Lá os visitantes poderão assistir a demonstrações de queimas, assistir filmes sobre cerâmica e comprar ferramentas e equipamentos, assim como cerâmica utilitária e artística.
Mas é a cidade de Cunha, localizada a meio caminho entre São Paulo e o Rio de Janeiro, que é considerada hoje o polo da cerâmica japonesa no Brasil. O estabelecimento de artistas japoneses no local começou na década de 70 e, a partir dessa data, muitos outros ceramistas instalaram aí seus ateliês. O português Alberto Cidraes e a japonesa Mieko Ukeseki são os únicos que, do grupo original estabelecido em 1975, ainda possuem aí seus ateliês com fornos Noborigama. A abertura dos fornos em Cunha é uma famosa atração turística e acontece no ateliê Suenaga & Jardineiro várias vezes ao ano. A próxima abertura será realizada no dia 3 de Dezembro.
