radical clay

By: Joe Earle
128 pages

A diverse selection of contemporary ceramic work by Japanese women, featuring stunning pieces from virtuosic artists

Since World War II, women artists from Japan have made influential contributions to ceramics that have been inadequately acknowledged. This catalogue focuses on thirty-six ceramists who have produced original and technically innovative pieces over the past fifty years while working outside the male-dominated, traditional Japanese studio practice and its countermovements. Both established and emerging artists with diverse styles are presented together to showcase their collective achievements and impact. After embarking on their careers decades ago, Mishima Kimiyo (b. 1932), Tsuboi Asuka (b. 1932), and Ogawa Machiko (b. 1946) continue to produce groundbreaking sculpture that pushes the limits of the clay as a medium. Among the younger artists featured are Konno Tomoko (b. 1965) and Aoki Katsuyo (b. 1972), whose works explore themes ranging from bodily distortion to fantastical decoration. Many of these creators have resisted gendered expectations, whether by approaching traditionally “feminine” subjects like flowers in unconventional ways or by working in so-called masculine modes, including on large scales. All of the selected pieces are from the exemplary private collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, who have advocated strongly to bring these artists to global attention.