Waichisai’s Moving Castle

You can't write about Japanese bamboo art without mentioning tea, or China, or, probably, without the help of an expert like Koichi Okada, who has been at the helm of TAI Modern's fastidiously curated Japanese bamboo art collection for 20 years. His new show, Three Generations of Wada Waichisai, was nearly 12 years in the making. "We've been showing works by the Waichisai family for years," Okada tells SFR, "but there are very few people who have pieces available and know about the art form."

The gallery acquired work little by little, some of which is for sale and some of which is not, and finally assembled enough to comprise a show which, as Okada explains, "will focus on the birth of modern Japanese bamboo art as we know it."

Three Generations of Wada Waichisai, which opens Friday, is a fascinating little show (there are just 16 pieces in all) for a number of reasons. Maybe most striking, it's displayed at a nominally contemporary space; a sexy and sleek Railyard district gallery (one of the very first to sprout up in the area) directly across from SITE Santa Fe. This exhibit, though, showcases the art of three generations of master artisans, the work of whom spans over a hundred years: a sort of family, um, bamboo tree, if you will. Those in the know associate the Waichisai name with the finest examples of basket-making in Japan. The show, then, offers a rare glimpse of a true art dynasty.

In Japan, bamboo traditions wouldn't exist without the country's love for karamono, which translates to "Chinese things." Japanese upper classes venerated the ritual of Chinese tea ceremonies, based on Ming Dynasty-era traditions starting in the 1600s. "For a time," says Okada, "Chinese goods didn't really make it to Japan, and so people there started making baskets based on traditional Chinese styles from earlier imports."

These elaborately configured baskets were made to complement elegant, highly refined tea ceremonies. "Japan had tea ceremonies too, which started out somewhat formal and rigid, but over time gave way to more relaxed, salon-style gatherings," says Okada, referring to the sencha tea ceremony. "There, Japanese intelligentsia, the cultured people, would sip tea and discuss Confucianism, Chinese poetry and artwork." These gatherings necessitated beautiful accouterments, of course, and hosts sought statement-making baskets for vibrant ikebana displays, or for transporting charcoals and tea utensils.

Though Wada Waichisai I (1851-1904) is credited with being a forefather of Japanese bamboo art, there's little known about the artist himself, and it's extraordinarily rare to see a basket that can be definitively attributed to him. The kobangata basket on view at TAI Modern, for instance, is one of just two in the world (the other belongs to a private collector in Germany). It's a lovely mahogany color, constructed with obvious care and purpose, with a delicately arched handle. "It would probably have held seasonal flowers, plants and vegetables—a special centerpiece for a sencha tea ceremony," says Okada.

In some parts of Japan, bamboo is said to represent loyalty, since its hardy, fibrous makeup withstands rain and snow. Wada Waichisai II (1877-1933) is known for his use of black bamboo, as well as for his generally more minimal aesthetic. "He wanted to create his own expression and art—as opposed to adhering strictly to karamono traditions," Okada explains. Because of its relative malleability, black bamboo can be manipulated into all kinds of forms, in turn presenting the artist with many creative possibilities. To me, works like the narrow flower basket on display by Waichisai II are what we think about when we think about Japanese aesthetic; that is, not karamono, but the restraint, the parity of form so intrinsic to aspects of the country's traditional architecture, spiritual practices and even food presentation.

Japan, of course, is no slouch when it comes to innovation. After all, they produced Sailor Moon and Junya Watanabe and katanas and ramen and an island called Aoshima that's JUST CATS—and they invented karaoke, but nobody's perfect, amirite? The youngest Waichisai's style is slightly more showy than his forebears. He blasts open tradition, literally, with open-mouthed, confident vessels that act as bewitching counterparts to those of his father and granddad. In some, Waichisai III (1899-1975) even adds inlaid metal beads, covered by a coat of black lacquer.

Though their creative impulses led them down unique paths, all of the Waichisais had a relationship to sencha tea ceremonies, and all shared a strong desire to perpetuate tradition—injected, indelibly, with their own personal touches.

Three Generations of Wada Waichisai Opening Reception:
5 pm Friday June 29. Free.

Gallery Talk and Sencha Tea Ceremony:
3 pm Saturday June 30. Free.
TAI Modern,
1601 Paseo de Peralta,
984-1387