The Seattle Asian Art Museum will open a new exhibition titled “The Kondō Family: Storytellers in Clay” on July 15, showcasing 60 ceramic works by four members of the Kondō family across three generations. The display spans a century of Japanese ceramic artistry, from Kondō Yūzō, a Living National Treasure known for blue-and-white porcelain, to contemporary artist Kondō Takahiro, whose work addresses nature and environmental change.
The exhibition matters because it highlights how a single family has preserved and innovated within a traditional craft over generations, demonstrating the evolution of Japanese ceramics from technical mastery to contemporary commentary. It also underscores the museum’s commitment to presenting Asian art that bridges historical techniques and modern artistic expression, offering visitors a rare look at intergenerational artistic dialogue.