Jyunpei Omori and Andrew Saito So are currently holding a duo exhibition at Farmoon Tea House in Kyoto Prefecture, with a theme centered around the soil of Tsukigase. Using soil from the ancient Lake Biwa Formation, which belongs to the Cenozoic era, Omori creates tangible manifestations of ancient rhythms, while Saito explores the poetic and scientific aspects of its cycles. During the exhibition, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Farmoon Tea House also offers Tsukigase tea served in vessels made from Tsukigase soil. We invite you to enjoy this unique experience.
Terroir de Tsukigase
【Dates】April 12th, 2024 (Friday) - April 21st, 2024 (Sunday)
【Opening hours】11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
【Venue】Farmoon 2F, 9 Kitashirakawa Higashikubotamachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8285, Japan
Special Dinner:
Date: April 20th (Saturday)Open: 5:00 PM① 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM, ② 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM*Limited to 15 participants per session. Reservation required.
Special Dinner details:We offer a limited dinner prepared by Masayo Funakoshi, using the exhibited artworks as tableware. Non-alcoholic/alcoholic pairing included. ¥18,000 per person. Please make a reservation by providing the following information via DM to @farmoon_kyoto:(① Name, ② Number of guests, ③ Phone number, ④ Preferred session, ⑤ Non-alcoholic or alcoholic pairing, ⑥ Any allergies)
Statements
If we consider the environment surrounding soil, climate, and the skills of the creators as terroir, then the environment of tea fields can also be considered terroir.
I interpret the soil that adapts and circulates within the Earth's environment, as well as the activities of people and events happening to me. When I visited the tea fields in Tsukigase, I felt a connection with the ancient past. I sensed the determination and radiant spirit of those who face the challenges while adapting to that environment. When I touched the soil beneath the compost, its fragrance reached deep into my brain.
The soil has a sticky texture mixed with coarse gravel, and sometimes it doesn't take a definite form. I pondered how to engage with it and explored various methods. I rolled it, stretched it, scratched it with my hands, and even molded it while still muddy. It was enjoyable to closely observe the expressions of the soil.
The soil obtained from the tea fields is a symbol of life. I immersed it in water, filtered and refined it, kneaded it, fired it, and made tools from it. For me, who had never created tools before, it was a new attempt and an opportunity to view the functionality from a different perspective.
Written by Junpei Omori
・・・
We break down ceramics made from viscous soil and glassy membranes at the molecular level and reconstruct them. This process engraves the stories of objects and discovers their unique value.
The soil of the tea mountains in Tsukigase Village, Nara Prefecture, was once the seabed of ancient Lake Biwa. The Tsukigase Healthy Tea Plantation has converted to organic cultivation since the previous generation, and the current owner, who succeeded the business, continues to expand the fields and manage scattered tea mountains while maintaining their beliefs despite friction with the surrounding environment. They have also taken over unused tea fields in the vicinity and revitalized the depleted soil by cultivating microorganisms from scratch. They select tea varieties to plant according to the characteristics of each tea field's soil, climate, and sunlight conditions. They fine-tune processes such as roasting and aging to bring out the unique characteristics of the tea that grows as a result, pursuing the maximum expression of terroir and the characteristics of the tea variety.
Furthermore, we burn straw, oyster shells, and leftover tea leaves used in Farmoon's cuisine, creating ash and combining it with feldspar to make glaze. This expresses the molecular-level circulation of materials known as "Farm to Table to Ceramics."
Written by Andrew Saito
・・・
During our discussions about holding a joint exhibition of the two familiar yet contrasting ceramic artists at Farmoon, the idea emerged to use the leftover tea from Farmoon as a glaze. We met during the production of the Nara Food Caravan in 2016, and Mr. Iwata from the Tsukigase Healthy Tea Plantation in Nara, who produces indispensable tea for Farmoon, not only has deep knowledge about tea production using organic and natural farming methods, but also possesses a profound understanding of the geology of Tsukigase, where he grows tea plants and where they are rooted. He reminded me that the geological layers in Tsukigase include the Cenozoic era's ancient Lake Biwa Formation, which consists of clayey deposits. This sparked the idea of creating clay with that soil, firing pottery with the clay, and brewing tea made in that area with the pottery. The concept of circulation started spinning in my head, and I thought it would be enjoyable to involve the two ceramic artists in this spiral motion of nature and humanity.
We asked Mr. Iwata for a small portion of soil from the tea fields, and this is the resulting collection of artworks created by the two artists.
Come and experience the resonance and contrast between Junpei Omori, who constantly changes while absorbing the ancient rhythms and returning to primal origins, and Andrew Saito, who engages with the land and stories at a molecular level, combining a poetic and scientific perspective.
Written by Masayo Funakoshi