Akihirio Furugaki is one of the few artists in the world who painted in precise detail using a delicate technique – “Yurikingsinsai” technique which is an original Japanese craft technique created at the start of the 20th century. Its ability to stop silver leaf from turning black is its most fascinating characteristic. Furugaki has further developed “Yurikingsinsai” technique of his own, and titled it as “Yuriginryusai”, to create a much more delicate work of art.
His main works are satsuma porcelains called white satsuma (shiro satuma) as well as blue satsuma (ao satsuma). He wanted to express the extraordinary clear sky and sea of Kagoshima Prefecture which is the birthplace of satsuma porcelain and made an original glaze by blending the traditional white glaze and his original blue glaze. By using those 2 glazes, he designed a satsuma porcelain that has a mixture of his original blue colour and the traditional white colour.
Dakatsu glaze literally means snake and scorpion which signifies the snake and scorpion skin like patterns which is created by the contrast of the 2 types of glazes that each have a different degree of shrinkage.
The “Yurikingsai Technique“ is one of satsuma porcelain’s decoration techniques which is a new technique created in Japan in the 20th century and was incorporated into satsuma porcelain. It is made by cutting the gold and silver foil into a specific pattern and baking it onto the porcelain. Then it is layered with clear glaze and baked again.
By glazing and coating the silver foil, it prevents black discoloration made by contact to air and keeps the beautiful sparkle of the silver foil.
Starting with the technique needed to cut foil, the porcelain needs to be baked many times until it is completed and precise temperature control is required in every baking step. Therefore, this technique requires many years of experience and is very time consuming.
On the other hand, with the “Yuriginryusai Technique”, instead of being baked onto the porcelain in the form of the foil itself, the foil is randomly placed and baked a distinct way which make the foil transform into liquid while it is baking. The liquidized silver foil flows and covers the porcelain creating small bumps of granulated patterns. It glimmers beautifully when it is combined with the clear glaze.This technique was unexpectedly formed from a failed baking process in the Yurikinginsai technique. From there it was elevated and developed into Furugaki’s original expression method.
Yoraku pattern is a type of kissho (auspicious) pattern which brings wealth and nobility and is a motif of the jewellery the ancient Indian aristocracies wore. Kaichi Kama’s yoraku pattern is an original style that is made by embedding real jewellery and crystals into the delicately painted porcelain. When the piece is seen from different angles the di-used reflection gives an impression as though the whole piece is covered in real decoration.
One glance of his work and the viewer will be drawn into the world of porcelains no one has ever seen. He has held several private exhibitions in Tokyo, Kyoto and Kagoshima. His works have been highly valued for their beautiful and delicate style from home and overseas customers. His talent is also recognized with numerous awards and achievements in Japan, and is highly acclaimed not only in the world of porcelains of Japan but internationally as well.
“We are delighted to introduce Akihiro Furugaki and his skills with blue satsuma to locals and art lovers in Hong Kong,” Cecilia Koo, Gallerist of Galerie Koo. “Furugaki was inspired by the nature of Japan while giving the audience a new interpretation of the concept of “abstract art”. Moving art from 2D to 3D, coupled with his excellent and rare skill of Yuri Kingsinsai, Hong Kong art lovers can be closer to Japanese culture than ever.”
Galerie Koo continues to promote contemporary arts and Chinese contemporary ink paintings with beauty and colours to art lovers of all levels domestically and internationally. The exhibition continues to make a contribution to promote Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries.
古垣彰拡的創作運用了「釉裏金銀彩」技術，其因世界只有為數不多的藝術家掌握而被稱爲夢幻技法。該技術是日本20世紀初創造的一種特有工藝技術。銀金箔永恆不黑是這技術高超之處。古垣彰拡更進一步鑽研了自己的獨自技法，以創造出更精緻的藝術作品。
他的作品主要有被稱為「白薩摩」及其獨創的「碧薩摩」 的薩摩燒。薩摩燒是在鹿兒島縣內所燒製的陶瓷器皿的總稱︒其中，「白薩摩」以華麗絢爛 而纖細的繪畫技術而聞名︒於明治時期，半數人口為武士的強藩薩摩（今日的鹿兒島縣），白薩摩是獻給王侯貴族的禮品︒這種白薩摩採用的釉裏金銀彩技術，釉裏銀粒技術，透彫香爐，獨特的瓔珞紋等，由各種技藝衍生出嶄新類型「碧薩摩」︒碧薩摩是古垣彰拡將薩摩燒傳統的白色釉料混合自行開發的碧薩摩蛇蝎釉，獨創的藍色釉和傳統的白色釉混合以製作薩摩燒︒「蛇蝎釉」，從字面看是以「蛇」和「蝎」的皮膚表面模樣創作的 釉料，塗上二，三層不同的釉，因其收縮程度的差異而產生對比的形態︒陶器的形狀，配色，裝飾各方面等集多種要素匯合成一種美學概念，由此擴大傳統薩摩燒的可能性，築構出同時柔合傳統與革新的陶藝世界觀︒
釉裏金銀彩技術是薩摩燒的裝飾技術之一，將 20 世紀由日本始創的新技術融入薩摩燒之中︒將金，銀箔裁剪成特定圖案並與陶坯一起燒製，於表面塗上透明釉料後再次燒製而成︒銀箔上塗上透明釉形成塗層，可避免銀箔暴露在空氣中因硫化而變黑，以保持其亮麗的光澤︒銀箔切割難度甚高，加上多次反覆燒製，各燒製階段均須精準的溫度管理，須要大量時間，精力，長年累月的經驗與技術︒
相較於銀箔以其形態附在陶坯一起燒製，釉裏銀粒彩技術術則是隨機貼上銀箔並 以特殊的燒製方法，至使 銀箔在過程中液化︒覆蓋在陶器上的液化狀態銀箔猶 如流動似的，精緻的凸起的顆粒狀圖案與透明釉相得益彰，互相輝映︒釉裏銀 粒技術是在燒窯過程失敗中，偶然發現的嶄新方法演變而成，展現出古垣彰拡獨特個人風格︒
薩摩燒的透彫技術乃世上獨有︒陶坯自轆轤拉出後，在尚未乾燥前以特殊的刀具開 孔。不容絲毫瑕疵，須要極度專注和豐富經驗，並追求這種力臻極至技術的工匠才能做到︒世上抱持著這種態度的工匠寥寥療可數，更顥得這些作品彌足珍貴︒瓔珞紋圖是指古代印度貴族身上配戴的飾物（手飾）中象徵帶來富貴吉祥的圖案︒瓔珞紋樣繪畫纖細精巧，將真正的寶石或水晶等以獨特的方式嵌入製作，創製出獨有風格，隨著欣賞角度不同，不規則的反射讓人有彷彿 看到裝飾品覆蓋在作品上的真實印象︒只要看一眼他的作品，觀眾就會被吸引到一個從未見過的瓷器世界。他曾在東京、京都和鹿兒島等地舉辦個人作品展。其作品極緻纖細的繪畫技術，獲得日本國內及海外各方面的高度評價。
「我們很高興向香港的藝術和文化愛好者展示古垣彰拡 個人作品展。」雍廷序畫廊負責人顧素而女士道。「古垣彰拡通過他高超的技藝將抽象藝術以立體作品的形式表現出來。這次展覽為觀衆提供了一個與日本文化緊密接觸的機會。」
雍廷序畫廊持續向國內外各階層的藝術愛好者推廣具有美感和色彩繽紛的當代藝術和中國當代水墨畫，希望透過展覽為促進香港的文化和創意產業作出貢獻。