The first solo exhibition in Europe dedicated to Japanese artist Ikeda Iwao presents his new works made of bamboo and lacquer, some of which were especially created for the show in Berlin. A celebrated artist in his home country, Iwao was born in 1940 in Tokyo into a well-known family of bamboo artists and, like his father and teacher Ikeda Hyoa II, is a qualified master of the Japanese tea ceremony. His works, ranging from tea utensils to vases and sculptural works, reflect the ideals of the 'Way of Tea' in the aesthetics of the materials and the highly accomplished workmanship, but are distinguished by his innovative and creative approach to tradition. The many variations of the organic material of bamboo create an exciting interplay with the nuanced colour and surfaces of the traditional lacquer techniques, oscillating between formal clarity and material beauty. The symbiosis of form, colour and function in Ikeda Iwao's sculptures and objects questions the traditional context of art made with bamboo and lacquer.

A catalogue of the exhibition is available in English and in Japanese.