Exhibition | Actors of Ceremony: Japanese Ceramic + Glass

BASEL––Pierre Marie Giraud gallery showcased a series of glass and ceramics works by Japanese artists at Design Miami/Basel (June 4 – June 17, 2018). The showing featured new works from the gallery’s artists together with pieces from guest artists and recent hand-picked findings from Japan––each marked by variations on technical mastery, attention to detail and balanced aesthetics. The spread also included bamboo and lacquer artworks.

Featured image: Takuro Kuwata, Untitled, 2017, porcelain, glaze, pigment, 8.5 x 8 x 5.3 inches

Three generations of ceramists merged in respect for lineage with their explorations, experimentation and refinement within in their medium Alongside old masters like Yoshiro Kimura and Takayuki Sakiyama, each with their respective signature techniques––Kimura’s deep oceanic enamels and Sakiyama’s swirling sand-like textures––are the works of a middle generation of artists.

Such works are the simple and natural vessels of Kazunori Hamana as well as Shozo Michikawa‘s dense, raw pots characterized by the artist’s unique way of throwing, cutting and distorting clay. In his selection, Pierre Marie Giraud also featured a new generation of work, including the colorful and playful works of Takuro Kuwata and the precisely scored vases of Daisuke Iguchi. All together the works of these ceramists are the best expression of the Japanese culture across vernacular, tradition and contemporary pop.

The selection also showcased a series of lacquer objects and pots by Jihei Murase. From the tea caddies, platters or spoons, each celebrates the passing of time and beauty acquired through wear. As actors in the ceremonies of tea, they share with the woven bamboo compositions of Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, the art of the precise gesture, solemnity and mastery inherited from a familial dynasty of craftsmen.

In glass, Pierre Marie Giraud presented two artists who, at different times, followed the same path from Japan to Murano. Both reveal the same passion for Venetian hand-blown glass through their works. The comparison cannot be pursued any further as Yoichi Ohira’s precisely detailed and colorful vases have little in common with the aerial, transparent and sculptural pieces of Ritsue Mishima.

Text (edited) from gallery