Ono Hakuko: A Golden Touch: ONLINE ONLY

Ono Hakuko (1915–1996) was a pioneering Japanese woman ceramist of the twentieth century, having successfully broken into the male-dominated world of clay at a time when it was almost unheard of for a woman to do so. After mastering the exceptionally difficult yūri-kinsai (gold leaf underglaze) technique from Living National Treasure Katō Hajime (1900–1968), Ono dedicated her artistic career to refining the technique according to her own aesthetics. She created her mesmerizing, often geometric designs by carefully arranging gold leaf on the vessel’s surface before applying clear or lightly colored translucent overglaze. This process allowed her to create works with a remarkable degree of depth—her gold leaf patterns shimmer through layers of glass-like surface. In 1980, she was only the second woman to receive the prestigious Japan Ceramic Society Award. Such was her mastery that she could have conceivably become the first female Living National Treasure. Ono’s acceptance into the man’s world of clay at that time helped pave the way for future generations of talented women artists.

Featuring six of the artist’s captivating works, Ono Hakuko: A Golden Touch offers a unique opportunity to revel in the rich luminosity of Ono’s masterful gold leaf underglaze technique.