Shozo Michikawa: Ceramic Art

Description

•With around 70 works from 2003 to 2017 by the Japanese ceramic artist Shozo Michikawa (b. 1953)

•Michikawa's pots, with their irregular shape, granular texture, and rich earthen hues are so poetic in their appearance that they have been likened to 'haikus in clay'

•Shozo Michikawa's work is highly sought after throughout the world. The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg; LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford; National Museum of Walses, Cardisff; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Qinglingsi Temple, Xi'an and Shimada City Museum are among the institutions that have acquired his work

Torsion and tension are characteristic of the vessels created by the exceptional Japanese ceramicist Shozo Michikawa (b. 1953), whose works are reminiscent of rock strata and lava flows. Michikawa is known for his unique technique, for turning edgy, dynamic sculptures on the potter's wheel. First he cuts and scores a solid block of clay before he carves out the interior hollow through pressing and turning with a rod and his hands. Natural-looking surfaces emerge, just as geological forces formed the earth's surface – an irrepressible energy from the inside out. With a selection of works from the last fifteen years, Shozo Michikawa introduces the first comprehensive insight into his ceramic production, which has attracted attention across the globe.

This book accompanied a touring exhibition, which will toured between venues in the US and the UK in 2017.