Japan's New Wave


Kei'ichi
GOTOH



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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.

 



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