Kentarou Murayama
Beauty Through Use – Japanese Pottery Exhibition
5 September – 17 October 2026
Time & Style Amsterdam
Time & Style Amsterdam is pleased to present Beauty Through Use, a solo exhibition by Karatsu pottery artist Kentarou Murayama. Featuring approximately 1,000 works, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience pottery deeply rooted in the landscape, materials, and traditions of Karatsu, Saga Prefecture.
Rooted in the 450-year history of Karatsu ware from Saga Prefecture, Kentarou Murayama creates pottery deeply connected to the natural landscape of Karatsu, pursuing the essence of the material and its form.
His process begins by walking the mountains to gather clay, stone, and iron by hand. From these raw materials, he refines his own clay and glazes from scratch. Even today, when clay can easily be sourced ready-made, Murayama chooses to work closely with local raw materials. This direct engagement with the earth deepens his understanding of the land and the traditional craftsmanship of Karatsu ware.
Murayama values an “eighty percent” completion in his work. He believes the true character of Karatsu ware is revealed through daily use, as the surface gradually develops richness, sheen, and expression over time. Once the pieces enter a home, they begin to adapt to their environment and grow together with the user, completing the remaining “twenty percent” through lived experience.
The forms are simple and restrained, reflecting his pursuit of yō no bi (“用の美”) — the beauty of utility shaped around contemporary lifestyles and dining culture.
For this exhibition, around 1,000 works born from the nature of Karatsu will be presented. We warmly invite you to experience these pieces — to feel the materials and process behind them, and to discover how they gradually grow into everyday life and the home.
Time & Style Amsterdamは、唐津焼作陶家・村山健太郎による個展「Beauty Through Use」を開催いたします。本展では、約1,000点の作品を展示し、佐賀県・唐津の風土や素材、そして450年にわたり受け継がれてきた唐津焼の伝統に深く根ざしたものづくりをご紹介します。
村山健太郎の作陶は、自ら山を歩き、土や石、鉄を採取することから始まります。採取した素材から粘土や釉薬を一から精製し、土地と直接向き合いながら制作を重ねることで、唐津焼に受け継がれてきた伝統技法への理解を深め、その本質を探求しています。
村山は、自身の仕事を「八分目」の完成と捉えています。器は使い手の暮らしの中で時を重ねることで、艶や表情を育み、本来の魅力を現していきます。住まいや日々の営みに寄り添いながら変化を続けることで、残された「二分」が満たされ、器は初めて完成を迎えます。
無駄を削ぎ落とした簡潔な造形には、「用の美」の思想が息づいています。現代の暮らしや食文化に寄り添い、日々使われることでその価値を深めていく器は、使い手との時間を通して豊かな表情を育んでいきます。
本展では、唐津の自然から生まれた約1,000点の作品をご紹介いたします。作品を実際に手に取り、素材や制作背景に触れながら、暮らしの中で育ち、住まいに馴染んでいく器の魅力をご体感いただければ幸いです。
Events
Sat. 5 September – Opening Event
Mon. 7 September – Dining Experience by Chef Sota Atsumi from Restaurant MAISON (Paris)
(Capacity is limited. Please make your reservation through More info.)
Kentarou Murayama
Working in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, Japan, a region with over 450 years of ceramic tradition, Kentarou Murayama creates pottery from clay he gathers and prepares himself.
Central to his practice is the idea of leaving a vessel “eighty percent complete.” Rather than allowing the maker’s intention alone to define the work, he believes the remaining twenty percent is shaped through use — through the experiences, memories, and daily rituals of those who live with it. Only then does a vessel reach its fullest expression.
Transforming materials born from nature’s larger cycle into objects for everyday life, Kentarou seeks to create contemporary vessels that honor tradition while naturally becoming part of modern living.
His work invites us to appreciate the evolving character of clay as it grows richer through use, becoming a quiet companion to everyday moments.
Time & Style Amsterdam
Marnixstraat 148, 1016 TE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tel：+31 (0)20 210 3176
amsterdam@timeandstyle.nl
Open : 10:00 – 18:00 (Mon-Sat)
Sunday closed (6 September open)