Metalwork by Seikichi Hasegawa Saturday, July 10, 2021 - Friday, July 23, 2021

Gallery NOW is pleased to present a solo exhibition of metalwork artist Seikichi Hasegawa from July 10 (Sat) to July 23 (Fri).

Seikichi Hasegawa was born as the eldest son of the Hasegawa family, which has its roots in the Owari Tokugawa family’s official swordsmith. He grew up surrounded by the actions and sounds of swinging hammers, and moved to England at the age of 19. After being exposed to the global trend of contemporary art in England, which was very different from his previous environment, he entered the family business surprisingly easily and “With an honest feeling.

In addition to creating his own works of art, he also deepened his interest in and understanding of the classics through repairing old tools and creating tea ceremony utensils, taking advantage of the strength of the family business, which has handled numerous tea ceremony utensils for generations. Hasegawa has steadily refined his traditional techniques and aesthetics, as if the daily rhythm of hammering metal had become familiar to his body. In recent years, he has found new ground in the pursuit of out-of-the-box formative beauty with his forging techniques.

Seikichi Hasegawa’s metal works are said to be “soft” by tea ceremony masters, who are the users of the tools. The metal, originally hard and dignified and cold, is given heat by the engraving and forging techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation, and through the intervention of his natural eye and hand, Hasegawa’s unique techniques and individual beauty dwell.

We invite you to view the refined expression of Seikichi Hasegawa, who is expected to be even more active in the future, along with his tea ceremony utensils and vessels with intricate patterns, which are not confined to the conventional framework of metalworking.