Katsumata Chieko’s (b. 1950) first solo exhibition in the United States is nearly sold-out even before the official opening. Her exhibition at Joan B Mirviss, LTD presents a highly curated selection of Katsumata’s recent works that evoke a dialogue between form and material. Though the elegant curving lines and rounded lobes of her vessels suggest organic forms – coral, shellfish, and particularly pumpkins – finished with vibrant, gritty surfaces of multiple layers of color and texture. With contrasting mysteriously dark interiors, her sculptures are reminiscent of vessels, evoking both physical and metaphorical dualities. The renowned museum director and critic Kaneko Kenji has expressed that “these darkened cavities evoke a sense of ‘nothingness’ or a ‘perfect void.’ For [Katsumata], the absence or presence of this nothingness is what distinguishes ceramics from sculpture.” Through her creative process process, Katsumata has succeeded in creating masterful “craft-like” sculptures (k?gei-teki-z?kei) that reveal the very essence of her strength and passion. « more »
