Man of the kiln

Former Zen monk, Rizü Takahashi, discovered his passion for ceramics at the age of 40. Four decades later, people celebrate his ceramic pieces around the globe. He explains his application of Zen philosophy to his process in Alexis Rossi’s short film.

When French filmmaker, Alexis Rossi, first discovered Rizü Takahashi’s work, it inspired in him an immediate sense of awe: “I was amazed by the style of these pieces— both primitive and respectful of Japanese tradition.” Rossi elaborates: “This man recreated a very specific and traditional Japanese [studio] environment in France-- He is one of the only Ceramics masters using an Anagama kiln, which involves a long process and requires a lot of human work.”

Rizü Takahashi’s application of Zen philosophy to his process also intrigued Rossi, who by his own admission had little knowledge of Buddhism before he began shooting the film: “We are often attracted to things we don’t get, and it’s through the process of filming that we get to know these kinds of characters.”

“We are often attracted to things we don’t get, and it’s through the process of filming that we get to know these kinds of characters.”

Rossi explores the interwoven nature of Rizü Takahashi’s Zen philosophy with his process as a Ceramist through a cinematographic sequence of breathtaking vignettes of the artist at work. Takahashi cultivated his expertise in building and firing kilns in the mountains of Nagano, and Rossi’s visuals tell a story of a man whose work is of his environment. “For many years, I have been making ceramics by borrowing from the earth and harnessing the power of fire,” Takahashi explains, as the viewer watches him laboring at his Anagama kiln. “If the pieces that I make can serve the people who use them while also bringing color or serenity into their daily lives… that thought alone fills me with joy.”