I seek forms that transcend time, silent presences that radiate a sense of universal beauty that have a soul-like existence.
Dai Ichi Arts, LTD. is honored to present the first ever New York solo exhibition of Tokoname-based ceramic artist Kato Mami (b. 1963). Renowned for her innovative glazes, titled “Frost Glaze,” over porcelain vessel forms, Kato’s work invites audiences to contemplate the inner life of vessels, where space converges as sites of presence, imagination, and human connection.
Working primarily with porcelain slabs, Kato constructs sculptural vessels that recall glaciers and distant celestial landscapes. Her meticulous hand-building process layering, folding, and draping porcelain clay has resulted in a celebrated body of work that has earned her place in contemporary ceramics collections across Japan and internationally.
Kato’s achievements have been recognized across Japan, with the Grand Prize at the Mino Ceramics Exhibition (2019) and the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (2021) among her honors. Beyond accolades, her practice is deeply rooted in an exploration of time, memory, and universality:“I seek forms that transcend time,” she reflects, “silent presences that radiate a sense of universal beauty.” The exhibition includes a selection of Kato’s celebrated chawan (tea bowls), the forms for which she became the first woman in history to win the Shoroku Chawan Competition in 2015, and the Koie Ryoji prize in the Chouzou Tougei Exhibition, These intimate works translate vast imagined landscapes into vessels that rest in the palm of the hand, their interiors embodying what Kato describes as a “soul-like presence.”
This milestone exhibition for the artist offers New York audiences the rare opportunity to meet the artist and experience the depth of Kato’s vision through a curated collection of her latest work: vessels as sanctuaries of acceptance, imagination, and connection. She states:
The artist will be in the gallery to meet guests, collectors, and admirers of her work during the opening reception on Thursday, October 23 from 4-7PM.