Shingu Sayaka 新宮さやか Japanese, b. 1979
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Shingu’s sculptures showcase an extremely meticulous process, entirely hand-built from clay. At first glance, it's hard to believe the pieces are made of ceramic, as they evoke the realism of a cut flower, invoking the image of morning dew on silvery glazes on the petals, as well as the tiny pistils of a flower in bloom. In her vessels, thin slabs of pigmented clay fold and overlap, often edged with several delicate strands of fired clay that extend outward in fine, tapering filaments, as in the pistils of her ceramic sculptural flowers. These tendrils gather and part like a soft, fibrous fringe, evoking shifting textures as if the vessel were gently breathing or just beginning to unfurl. Her works walk the line between permanence and impermanence: while ceramic, by nature, is fragile and brittle, the flower it portrays remains eternally pristine and unwilting. This work was exhibited in the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in Michigan in 2023.
After having graduated from the Osaka University of Arts in 2003, she joined an apprenticeship program at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shiga, Japan, where she was deeply moved by the work of contemporary ceramic artist, Sugiura Yasuyoshi (b. 1949). Her work has received significant attention and awards, including selection for the 42nd Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition and exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Kyoto Arts and Crafts Biennale (The Museum of Kyoto), The Portland Art Museum, and more.