Yanagihara Mutsuo 柳原睦夫 Japanese, b. 1934
H26 × W27 × D26.5 cm
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In his abstraction of nature, Yanagihara Mutsuo has created the “Flower Eating” vessel series (2023-2025), characterized by swollen bellies and cavernous interiors that seem to beckon a bouquet of flowers. Playful spiral motifs enliven the surface, adding a sense of movement. Evoking the image of a carnivorous plant with an engorged belly, the work reflects Yanagihara’s enduring fascination with botany. Like these deceptive plants, his vessels engage in a kind of trickery—creating optical illusions that disorient and delight the viewer. This vessel features a wide, gaping mouth that seems to draw the viewer in, with blue glazes on the rim of the mouth to create a beguiling effect.
By blending botanical forms with anthropomorphic gestures- breathing, eating- the vessels become mischievous, animated objects that blur the boundary between sculpture and function. The result is a series brimming with vitality, personality, and playful tension.