For Barbara Kahlen, the unrepeatable and precious moment of opening the ceramic kiln—known as “kama biraki” (窯開き)—represents the “hour of truth”: the instant when the glazes first reveal themselves, delicately crackling as they meet the new room temperature and become visible in the sunlight. Timo Kahlen presents a sound installation within a black, empty wooden frame, allowing “wind” to resonate and generate perceptible vibrations in the surrounding air. On Japanese papers “written” with used oil, Wolf Kahlen observes how oil, containing environmentally harmful chemicals, permeates the paper and forms crystalline structures. This process of transformation becomes visible in his drawings, which he entitles “NAGA” (in Buddhism, “protectors of the earth”).

Within the family’s installation surrounding the glass cube of the Japanese garden at the JDZB, tea bowls are placed on and within glass furniture, as though freshly removed from the kiln. The cube at the center of the exhibition evokes the image of a kiln: it contains clay, mineral and metallic earths, plants, and sunlight—once volcanically hot—serving as a natural source of heat.

The three artists share an aesthetic approach described as “shibui” (渋い), seeking beauty in simplicity, modesty, organic forms, the overlooked, and the acceptance of nature. The exhibition will open on 5 February 2026 at 6:00 p.m. and will be on view from 5 February to 23 April 2026 at the Japanese-German Center Berlin. Admission is free of charge, and no registration is required.

• https://jdzb.de/de/veranstaltungen/kama-biraki