hisago

Hill Country SUN

By Ernie Altgelt

The ceramic artists of Japan have long equated beauty with simplicity and functionality. Generally working with understated themes, gentle colors and graceful stylings rendered in time-honored methodology, native craftsmen for millennia have been able to produce pleasing (at times, stunning) visual effects on even the most mundane household objects.
The Japanese philosophy, however, holds that true beauty is achieved not only in an item’s outward appearance but through its utility, as well. At Boerne’s very special Gallery Hisago, the Eastern traditions guiding craft and creativity are mirrored in the incredible, purchasable and extremely usable works of resident ceramist Gus McCloskey.
While always artistic—Gus studied at the Houston Museum of Fine Art and later graduated from the prestigious Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, New York, with a degree in painting and drawing—it was his 15 years in Japan that ultimately provided the direction that now defines the gifted Texan’s primary creative focus.
Traveling to Japan in 1990 with the intent to study and teach (English), the young artist soon became enamored with the country’s culture, customs and language.
Living and working daily with, and among, the local populace resulted in an amazingly high degree of assimilation seldom achieved by Westerners.
It was this assimilation that eventually allowed an eager Gus to accept an invaluable five-year apprenticeship working (and learning) under several of the nation’s most renowned master potters.
The traditional knowledge imparted and skills developed during these years melded with the artist’s innate talent, Western upbringing and high energy, today provide a truly refreshing result where the old and new exquisitely combine.
Returning to Texas in 2005 with his Japanese bride, Hisayo, the equally-accomplished pair soon established their Gallery Hisago (the word literally translates to “gourd”—an Eastern symbol of happiness) to showcase, as Hisayo offers, “not only Gus’ extraordinary ceramics but as a center for experiencing Japanese culture as well.”
After purchasing several acres, the McCloskeys quickly converted an old barn into a working studio and teaching center, personally constructed a professional-grade, 60-cubic-foot kiln, set up the gallery in another structure, then moved into the house next door.
From this new base (and new country for Hisayo), Gus continued refining the ceramic techniques and methods learned abroad while incorporating his own, self-developed “twists” and “turns.”
His wife began offering formal classes on Japanese cooking, language, kite making, origami (paper folding) and other fascinating Japanese cultural topics.
And, while Boerne locals (young and old) regularly gather at the McCloskey compound to learn and experience the Japanese ways of life, it is Gus’ extraordinary creations in glazed and fired clay that bring visitors from across the state and beyond.
The gallery itself overflows with stunning examples of Japanese-inspired, highly functional stoneware plates and platters, teapots, bowls, incense burners, sake bottles, even beer steins.
For pure visual delight, the gallery boasts astonishing abstract pieces, colorful wall tiles and other decorative items designed to enhance any home’s décor.
And, while the objects displayed are obviously expertly wrought and certainly compliment one another, amazingly, each piece still maintains its own distinct individuality.
All pieces are conceived and hand-produced on site using carefully selected, blended clays and custom glazes (most glazes incorporate the ash from locally burned trees) then twice fired for up to 14 hours at a time, ensuring a finished product that is not only beautiful, but dishwasher safe, as well.
The majority of items in the well-stocked gallery are available for purchase —prices start at $20 with bigger pieces selling for as much as several thousand dollars—but many patrons have started asking the resident artist to produce commissioned work featuring ornamentation, themes or verbiage appropriate to their specific need or occasion. Gus is happy to comply.
With the success the Gallery Hisago has experienced to date, it seemed the McCloskeys would be satisfied with what their talents and hard work had accomplished. Not so. As forward-looking Gus and Hisayo relate, “In Japanese the word kaizen means ‘constant improvement,’ and that’s our goal, as well.”
FYI • The Gallery Hisago is located just north of Boerne near Interstate 10 and Johns Road (at 10020 Johns Road). Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information (including directions), call 830-249-3120 or visit the web site at www.galleryhisago.com.

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