四十年前、祖父九代を孫として、三年前、父十代を長男として見送った。二人の「長左衛門」の旅立ちを私は継承者として見届けてきた。しかし今、私には「大樋焼」はどんなに長く続こうが未完で、「大樋長左衛門」という人物形成も未だ途中にしか何故か思えない。だとすれば、その未完成な時間を私が引き継いでいることになる。

　伝承を絶対化せず、歴史と距離を取り、伝統を素材として再構築していく。これが私流の生き様だった。しかし、その制作姿勢は自由のようだが、”過去に閉じ込めない” そして ”未来専用にしない” この両面から逃げ場のない「宿命」を背負うことでもある。そして悲しみや天災を天門として乗り越えながら、魂の存在を祖父や父も悟ったことなのかもしれない。

　世界で評価されることを私は目指してきた。これからは世界を同次元として捉え、同郷の哲学者・西田幾太郎博士、仏教学者・鈴木大拙師、そして裏千家十五代家元千玄室大宗匠などの足跡に敬愛を込めて、私の道を歩んでいきたい。

　覚悟をもって臨むこの個展をご高覧賜れば幸いです。

令和八年五月　十一代 大樋長左衛門（年雄）

As a grandson I bid farewell to my grandfather, the ninth generation, forty years ago. As the eldest son, I then bid farewell to my father, the tenth generation, three years ago. As the successor to the Ohi tradition, I have witnessed the departure of two “Chozaemon.” As to how long the Ohi-yaki tradition will last, it feels like something unfinished and still in progress. I feel that the formation of this person called “Ohi Chozaemon” is only halfway complete. If that is so, then I have inherited a time that has not yet concluded.

We cannot make tradition the absolute rule. We maintain our distance from history and reconstruct tradition as a kind of raw material. This was my way of life. Yet this creative stance, while seemingly liberating, has two sides — not being confined to the past and not being dedicated solely to the future. I must recognize that this is my “fate,” from which there is no escape from either side. My grandfather and father realized that only heaven held the answers for overcoming sorrow and natural disasters. Perhaps this how they came to understand the existence of the soul.

I have strived for recognition on the world stage. I wish to move forward, perceive the world as an equal dimension and forge my own path. I pay reverence to following in the footsteps of two of my hometown compatriots, the philosopher Dr. Kitaro Nishida and the Buddhist scholar, Daisetsu (D. T.) Suzuki, and of the Grand Master of the Urasenke Tradition, Hounsai.

I am honored by your presence and, with great determination, present this solo exhibition to you.

2026 May

Toshio OHI Chozaemon XI

金沢の地で360年もの長きにわたり窯の炎を護り続ける大樋焼。

十一代 大樋長左衛門（年雄）氏はボストン大学大学院で陶芸を学び、帰国後は大樋焼伝統の技術と釉薬を基に、独自の感性を駆使した作品を発表しています。

その作陶姿勢は常に「伝統技術の継承と革新の融合」を追求し、伝統工芸の新たな可能性を切り開いていくというもの。

自身の経験から培われたグローバルかつ多角的視点で創造された作品は国内外から高く評価されており、2025年には日本藝術院会員に就任されました。

今展では、大樋焼開窯360年、日本藝術院会員就任を記念し、十一代長左衛門の集大成となる作品を展覧いたします。

過去、現在、未来へとつなぐ大樋長左衛門の想いをぜひご高覧ください。

日本橋三越本店

360 years in Kanazawa, the kilns of Ohi ware have been tended without cease. The Eleventh-generation Ohi Chozaemon studied ceramics at the Graduate School of Boston University; upon returning to Japan he has presented works grounded in Ohiʼs traditional techniques and glazes while expressing a singular sensibility. His practice consistently pursues the fusion of inherited technique and innovation, opening new horizons for traditional craft. Created from a global and multifaceted perspective forged through experience, his works have earned high acclaim in Japan and abroad. In 2025 he joined the Japan Art Academy, and he is further expanding his activities with a major solo exhibition at Viennaʼs Augarten Museum.

This exhibition marks the 360th anniversary of Ohi ware and his appointment to the Japan Art Academy. Drawing on the experience of profound damage and sorrow in the wake of the earthquake two years ago, it presents a body of work that can be regarded as the culmination of the Eleventh Chozaemonʼs career. We invite you to view these works and to share in Ohi Chozaemonʼs vision, linking past, present, and future.

Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store

◆ギャラリートーク

日時 ：  5月17日（日）午後2時～

会場 ： 日本橋三越本店 本館6階 美術特選画廊「大樋焼開窯360年・日本藝術院会員就任記念　十一代 大樋長左衛門 展」会場内

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