Brightness and lustre are inherent to the history of Japanese decorative arts. From textiles to ceramics, surface sheen and the ability for objects to iridesce has endured throughout the ages. In contemporary Japanese ceramics, we see artists render beautifully elaborate innovations on the potential for ceramic surfaces to opalesce. We see this particularly in works by artists who take risks by either manipulating the clay surface (Oishi Sayaka 大石早矢香 b. 1980, Shingu Sayaka 新宮さやか b. 1979, Matsutani Fumio 松谷 文生 b. 1975), or formulating unconventional glaze recipes that create nacreous surface texture (Miyamura Hideaki 宮村 秀明 b. 1955, Ichikawa Toru 市川 透 b. 1973), or by adding unconventional contemporary materials to a porcelain surface (Suzuki Hideaki 鈴木 秀昭 b. 1959). These artists push the boundaries of how the ceramic medium and its surfaces may interact with light. We are pleased to celebrate the season with a group of works which ruminates on lustre, presenting a kaleidoscope of iridescence and splendor.
We are grateful for our community of international collectors, connoisseurs, conservators, art historians, museums, and fellow gallerists for following us. Most of all, we express our gratitude this season to our gallery artists, whose works and objects continue to delight, move, and inspire us.