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EXHIBIT POSTER
Kei’ichi
GOTOH
When in school in the late 60’s, Kei Gotoh was president of the Haiku Society
and his love for this compressed, thoughtful, highly-refined art form provides
part of the aesthetic inspiration for his unique approach to pipe-making. Kei’s
designs are distinctively clean, spare mixtures of the organic and the
structural – executed with a jewel-like intensity. Rarely making more than two
pipes a month, Kei labors tirelessly over the smallest detail of shape,
engineering, and finish.
Gotoh’s workshop contains several big machines used for his work as a maker
of models for manufacturers. His pipe-making tools occupy much less space and
when Kei rolls his sander into place and sits down quietly on his small chair,
it seems that an oasis for briar contemplation has magically appeared.
Kei Gotoh makes highly detailed drawings of his pipes only after he has
shaped them – in order to figure out the best way to design the stem.
Kei Gotoh reveres the pipes of Bo Nordh. In his pursuit of pipe-making
perfection, Kei tries to model himself after the Swedish master. On the wall of
his workshop, Kei has a poignant photo of Bo as a young man, astride his
motorcycle. … Bo much admired Gotoh’s work. On his death, Bo asked that his
stock of briar be divided between Nanna Ivarsson, Tokutomi and Gotoh.
Gotoh’s workshop contains several big machines used for his work as a maker
of models for manufacturers. His pipe-making tools occupy much less space and
when Kei rolls his sander into place and sits down quietly on his small chair,
it seems that an oasis for briar contemplation has magically appeared.
Kei Gotoh makes highly detailed drawings of his pipes only after he has
shaped them – in order to figure out the best way to design the stem.