ICHIHARA KAUNSAI (1916 - 1995) was born in Beppu, Oita prefecture. His reputation among bamboo artists in Kyushu—one of the centers of bamboo art in Japan—is exemplary. Less well-known internationally than many artists of subsequent generations, he was the teacher of Shiotsuki Juran (1948-2016), another artist whose hand skills were considered remarkable even among this group of preternaturally talented craftspeople. Kaunsai made baskets of startling originality and structural integrity.

(Source: Galerie Zacke)