Sakaegi Masatoshi 栄木正敏 (1944-2019) channeled the surreal qualities of porcelain and celadon glaze to evoke the beauty in natural phenomena. In his work, thick celadon glaze appears to seep from angular, pure white porcelain forms, like fresh spring water emerging from stone. At first glance, his pieces feel both elemental and architectural: grounded in nature and shaped by human design.

Deeply influenced by Shinto shrines nestled within the Japanese landscape perched beside lakes, hidden in forests, or high in the mountains. Water, which is central to a purification ritual of visiting a shrine and offering a prayer, has become a central conceptual anchor in his work, linking ceramic form with nature and spiritual experiences. Sakaegi recalled these sacred rituals not as relics of a spiritual past, but as living, contemporary experiences, seeking to express this in his designs.

This series, titled Surface Tension, takes its name from a natural and physical property of water: the cohesive force that allows the surface of a liquid to support light objects (like paper or pond skaters) without breaking. Sakaegi captures this delicate equilibrium through thick, viscous celadon glazes that suspend a dripping motion in form and color. The glaze becomes sculptural in itself, enhancing the organic feel of each piece, resulting in works that are meditative and carry a calming presence.