Last week saw the closing night Ramen Fest for our exhibition Slurp! Honoring the Ramen Bowl, curated by Kiku Obata and organized by Craft Alliance Center for Art and Design. The exhibition featured bowls by leading American ceramicists, including Dan Anderson, Linda Christianson, Blair Clemo, Brett Freund, Randy Johnston, Nina Lalli, Beth Lo, Lee Love, Warren MacKenzie, Ron Meyers, Malinda Reich, Suzanne Marie Sullivan and others.
Ramen has become an international food sensation with hundreds of cult shops popping up around the globe and infinite varieties of noodles, broths and toppings. There have been serious debates over authenticity, origins and proper ways to eat this dish. At the center sits the Ramen Bowl, a simple ceramic vessel of humble beginnings, simple markings and glazes, but with careful consideration to shape, size and rim, that allows one to intimately inhale the aroma and slurp away with chopsticks and a deep spoon.
At the closing night Ramen Fest, Bernie Lee of Hiro’s Asian Kitchen prepared ramen and served it up in the bowls purchased from the exhibition. Thank you to all the potters, Craft Alliance, Hiro’s and everyone who attended.
