BEYOND THE SURFACE: The Unity of Form and Pattern in the Work of Wada Morihiro: Asia Week New York

As Asia Week New York approaches, we are thrilled, at long last, to present BEYOND THE SURFACE: The Unity of Form and Pattern in the Work of Wada Morihiro (1944-2008). This exhibition, fifteen years in the making, is the first comprehensive retrospective for this seminal clay master. It showcases seventy works, most acquired directly from the estate of the artist, representing nearly all of his diverse patterns on his ever-changing forms. A thorough bilingual book on his career, with essays by four leading Japanese scholars, accompanies the exhibition.

WADA MORIHIRO was a master ceramic artist known for his reflective and intellectual approach to art. In his forties, he developed a personal ceramic theory–– viewing the exploration of vessel and sculptural forms, along with their surface patterns, as a way to understand and express his spirit. Drawing inspiration from nature, Wada created over three dozen unique patterns featuring cedar trees, clouds, flowers, grasses, vines, and geometric shapes using slip glaze, inlay, and carving techniques.

During his lifetime, his work captivated collectors and curators throughout Japan. Wada’s unique ceramic style was in high demand from the 1980s into the 1990s. His exhibitions were immensely successful and received extensive press coverage. He exhibited with prestigious fine art galleries like Fujii Gallery—a rare achievement at the time for a ceramic artist— and his oeuvre was the focus of two exhibitions at Japanese art museums, including a 1997 retrospective at the Tsukuba Museum of Art. In 1990, a solo exhibition at Alexander Milliken Gallery in New York showcased his remarkable creative range, bringing him international recognition. Wada’s later career included participation in Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2005 and Japan Society, NY in 2006. Unfortunately, in 2008, while serving as a professor of ceramics at Tōhoku University of Art and Design, this brilliant artist, cherished by collectors, curators, and students alike, passed away suddenly at the age of sixty-four, leaving a vibrant legacy that continues to inspire clay artists.

BEYOND THE SURFACE highlights thirty of Wada's iconic patterns, featuring seventy works showcasing his mastery of surface and form. Eleven of these works, including two unique entwining-vine patterned vessels previously unseen outside Japan, were intended for his 2008 solo exhibition at our gallery–– a show that would have been Wada’s first comprehensive retrospective–– had it not been for his untimely passing. Fortunately, the Wada family reserved these works and many others and encouraged our gallery to host this important exhibition in New York. The bilingual, fully illustrated, scholarly book is available for purchase. 

“Wada Morihiro demonstrates exceptional skill in ceramic techniques. His relentless pursuit of perfection is expressed in both his large-scale works and his smaller vessels. In addition to his strength in ceramic techniques, he has the methodology of a mathematician, the mind of a philosopher, the structural skills of an architect, and the sensitivity of a poet. Naturally gifted as a ceramist, Wada Morihiro was ahead of his time.” –Itō Ikutarō, Former Director, Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka