Summer Clay: Textures of The Shoreline

Ceramics appeal to collectors, in part due to their tactility. Viewing and handling a vessel may spark associative memories of places visited and times-gone-by. Summer Clay: Textures of the Shoreline at Joan B Mirviss LTD, opening on July 9th, showcases contemporary Japanese ceramics – the textures and shapes of which evoke reminiscences of idyllic days spent at the seaside.

For this exhibition, works have been selected for their ability to prompt such palpable recollections. The sculptures of Itō Tadashi (b. 1952) and Kiyomizu Rokubey VII (1922-2006) and a platter by Miwa Kyūsetsu XI (1910-2012) recall sandy shores. Likewise, the surfaces of vessels created by Azuma Kaori (b. 1972), Itō Hidehito (b. 1971), Matsui Kōsei (1927-2003) and Takiguchi Kazuo (b. 1953) call forth images of polished, tumbled stones. Broken or fossilized shells are evoked by the sculptural works of Ichino Masahiko (b. 1961) and Kurokawa Tōru (b. 1984), while bright bits of sea glass washed ashore might be suggested in a bowl by Yagi Akira (b. 1955) amusingly calls to mind the beachcomber with his metal detector seeking hidden treasure. Lastly, wave patterns on the vessels of Kamoda Shōji (1933-1983), Suzuki Tetsu (b. 1946), and Fukumoto Fuku (b. 1973) serve as visual metaphors for the lapping water itself.