1962

Mokume-gane incense burner "Turtle"

2022, Silver, Copper, Shakudo, Copper, Brass

The circular stand crafted in Mokume-gane of silver, shakudō, and copper. Its constricted central section is traversed by a concave, horizontally arranged band of mokume-gane in copper and silver. The brass insert above is decoratively pierced along the rim and surmounted by a sculptural turtle in mokume-gane, composed of different copper alloys.

A brilliantly executed work that reveals Hara’s training and exceptional mastery not only as a metal artist but also as a sculptor. Satoshi Hara (b. 1962, Yokohama) is one of the outstanding representatives of contemporary Japanese metal art. He has taught at Kanazawa College of Art since 2003 and currently serves there as Professor of Metal Arts. He is a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association and member of the Kanazawa Craft Council. In addition, he has served as a visiting professor in China and taught at prestigious art universities in Japan and abroad.

Hara combines traditional techniques of forging, raising, and inlay with an exceptional sensitivity to the chromatic and structural qualities of different metals. Particularly characteristic is his innovative development of the Nanako technique, with which he creates extraordinarily fine dotted and linear structures of almost painterly effect.

His works have been exhibited internationally, including at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, and exhibitions in New York and Portland. Hara’s works are held in major public collections, including the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing, the Art Museum of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, the Shanghai Art Collection Museum, the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum, and the Ueda Sōzōkan.

Hara has received numerous distinctions for his outstanding achievements, including the Prize of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2017 and the President’s Prize of the Japan Kōgei Association in 2024. Through his activities as an artist, university professor, juror, and member of leading institutions, he has become an influential figure in the field of Japanese metal art.