Ayumi SHIGEMATSU

Ayumi Shigematsu (b. 1958 Osaka, lives in Kobe) is a graduate of Kyoto City University of Arts, where she studied with Osamu Suzuki. The direction of her work, however, has differed sharply from his. In 2002, she became the first female ceramic professor at her alma mater. She is among the vanguard of women who have become influential in molding a new generation of ceramists, who, in increasing numbers, are women. It is surely the strength of her work, and not mere political correctness, that has enabled her to reach her position of academic importance.

At the present time she begins by making small models. Her work takes on an organic appearance, often arising from a small base and growing, growing upwards. She has characterized her creative process as “thinking with one’s hands,” rather than making aesthetic choices exclusively with her mind. Her forms suggest female body parts, internal organs and vegetation. Some of the pieces illustrated are highly sexual, with multiple swelling breast-like shapes and, in one piece, showing an aperture which bears resemblance to both an ear and to female genitalia. Her colors are not realistic. Shigematsu prefers an array of pastel colors, highly unusual for ceramics. This represents a significant rebellion against the norm that clay work should only look like clay. Further, their un-clay appearance is enhanced by their super-smooth surfaces, burnished or shining in a way that may look more like plastic than clay. She is another contemporary artist making clay sculpture that defeats one’s expectations of what clay works should look like. The impact of her forms and colors suggest voluptuous, attractively-colored forms. Complex associations and aesthetic daring mark Shigematsu as a challenging artist.
Clockwise from top left (1 through 4)
1. Bone Ear '97-6, 1997, Ceramic, H14" x W10" x D17"
2. Missing Green, 2005, Ceramic, H16" x W21" x D17.5"
3. Threefold Plant, 2003, Ceramic, H15" x W21" x D21"
4. Open Vessel, 2002, Ceramic, H9" x W19" x D12.5"