TEA

it was a beautiful morning tea session in Kensington market yesterday. thank you to all who participated and helped us to create such an awesome event. If you’re a tea lover,  you must check cafe Pamenar‘s future Teas Me! event which organized by Rafi from KEEP SIX.

We had the Hatsugama tea ceremony, the first and most festive presentation of tea in the New Year, in our tea house. Over 800 guests will be invited and offered Kaiseki cuisine as well as thick and thin tea for the next 5 days. It’s a great event but a little chaotic. We must use walkie talkies during everyday operations…

This week I visited pottery and master ceramicist artist Masanobu Ando in his gallery/studio at Tajimi, Gifu prefecture. It is a beautiful place in the middle of mountains. The gallery called “Momogusa” is in an old farmhouse he moved to the site and rebuilt.

I had first met him in March 2012, at the time he had a show at Mjolk, Toronto. We spent a couple of night together eating and chatting, and we promised to see each other again.

His wife, Akiko Ando is also an artist, textile and clothing. I fell in love with one of her pants series called “Salon” collaborated with famous textile designer minä perhonen. It is looks like a skirt, but we boys can wear it as Hakama-pants for tea ceremony occasion. So I bought one. YAY! 

I also tried pottery for the first time. Touching the spinning clay is awesome. Pottery is an art of essentials: earth, water, and fire, guided by the human element of spirit. mmm… it’s like Zen.

Had a tea ceremony in Kamakura, Japan. I’m so happy that my dear friend has finally opened her gallery in such a prime location, just a minutes walk from ocean. So this tea ceremony is dedicated to celebrating the launch of her lovely space. I look forward to next one in near future.