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In Search of an Identity (Spanish)

(Spanish) I wanted to be a musician at one time. The words and sounds were close to me at one time, and the philosophy was, perhaps, the area that I opted for, as we say in academia at Catholic University, was the area which I chose, but then I found ceramics, and I believe that it was there where a certain kind of memory emerged related to Japan. I recall the start of my training as a ceramist; it began with my studies with two great teachers: Bernard Leach, an Englishman, and Hamada Shoji, a Japanese. I learned much from them, including philosophy, the life of a contemporary ceramist based somewhat on the life of a potter, of the anonymous artist, if you will, of the anonymous artisan, and I believe that it was at that moment where ceramics became significant for me. I found a link with Japan in addition to also finding a relationship with the pre-Hispanic history of Peru, but I also believe that at that moment the memory of someone whom I never knew awakened in me, that of my maternal grandfather, Guillermo Shinichi Tanaka, who died young, and I believe he is the person whom I continue to seek. I went to Japan in order to be an apprentice of a traditional Japanese teacher, Tsukimura Masahiko. The visit lasted two years (1979-1980), and I believe that [while I was there in Japan] I sought not only [to be a] ceramist but that I was also seeking family memories, of my ancestors, and yes, I developed a strong desire to get to know my family’s house, my maternal grandfather’s home.


Date: December 7, 2007

Location: Lima, Peru

Interviewer: Harumi Nako

Contributed by: Asociación Peruano Japonesa (APJ)

Interviewee Bio

Carlos Runcie Tanaka was born in 1958 in Lima, Peru. After studying philosophy he began to practice the art of ceramics. He also studied in Brazil, Italy, and Japan. He participates in group exhibitions both in Peru and abroad, particularly contemporary art exhibits. Tanaka’s work also has been exhibited in museums and private collections in various countries. He has shown his work since 1981 in Latin America, United States, Japan, and Italy. In the last few years he has been a visiting professor in several prestigious universities in the United States and Japan. In addition to his research and exhibits, Tanaka has maintained a ceramics workshop since 1979, employing local products and gas ovens for the firing (1300 C) of his objects, which are utilitarian and functional in nature. In November 2007 he exhibited the work “A Zen Parable and Ten Short Stories” in the Ryoichi Jinnai Gallery at the Japanese-Peruvian Cultural Center during the 35th Annual Japanese Cultural Week. At the same time, in December of 2007, he published his first book, also entitled A Zen Parable and Ten Short Stories, under the auspices of the Japanese Peruvian Association. (December 7, 2007)