Kiyomizu Rokubey VIII 八代 清水六兵衞 b. 1954
Remnants of Heat 26-K, 熱の痕跡, 2026
Stoneware with oxidized copper glaze
14 × 7 × 7 in. (35.5 × 19 × 18.5 cm)
Artist’s mark impressed on base
Inscribed wooden storage box available to order
Inscribed wooden storage box available to order
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After graduating from Waseda University’s School of Architecture, Rokubey VIII began applyingprinciples of architecture and engineering to the construction of clay slabs. His polyhedral sculpturesembody aspects of Minimalism and Cubism....
After graduating from Waseda University’s School of Architecture, Rokubey VIII began applyingprinciples of architecture and engineering to the construction of clay slabs. His polyhedral sculpturesembody aspects of Minimalism and Cubism. Built from individual or interconnected modular elements,their sharply articulated planes evoke folded origami, industrial materials, abstraction adapted fromarchaeological bronzes, invoking a sense of otherworldliness.
Rokubey VIII works both with and against clay’s volatile character, testing its structural limits to create apalpable formal tension. In some pieces, he deliberately incorporates a sense of sagging, and curvingwithin otherwise geometric compositions, merging architectural sensibilities with biomorphic tendencies.
Rokubey VIII imagines the kiln’s intense heat acting upon metal, causing the material to slump, bend, andwarp despite its inherent strength. Negative space is also an important part to each work: curvilinearopenings reveal the sculptures’ interior space, suggesting complex relationships between interior andexterior, heightening a tension between vessel and object.Its subtly warped surface suggests thick sheets of steel buckling in extreme industrial heat.
This is achallenging effect to achieve through slab construction. The oxidized copper glaze reads as a classic, coolceladon, creating a playful illusion that complicates the sculpture’s material appearance. A glazed interioradds another layer of contrast, bringing the cool, metallic tones of the exterior into harmony with the soft,cream-colored glow within.
Rokubey VIII works both with and against clay’s volatile character, testing its structural limits to create apalpable formal tension. In some pieces, he deliberately incorporates a sense of sagging, and curvingwithin otherwise geometric compositions, merging architectural sensibilities with biomorphic tendencies.
Rokubey VIII imagines the kiln’s intense heat acting upon metal, causing the material to slump, bend, andwarp despite its inherent strength. Negative space is also an important part to each work: curvilinearopenings reveal the sculptures’ interior space, suggesting complex relationships between interior andexterior, heightening a tension between vessel and object.Its subtly warped surface suggests thick sheets of steel buckling in extreme industrial heat.
This is achallenging effect to achieve through slab construction. The oxidized copper glaze reads as a classic, coolceladon, creating a playful illusion that complicates the sculpture’s material appearance. A glazed interioradds another layer of contrast, bringing the cool, metallic tones of the exterior into harmony with the soft,cream-colored glow within.