Dai Ichi Arts, LTD. is honored to present the first 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 interior and exterior converge as sites of presence, imagination, and human connection.
Working primarily with porcelain slabs, Kato constructs sculptural vessels that recall glacial terrains, oceanic tides, and distant celestial landscapes. Her meticulous hand-building process—layering, folding, and draping porcelain clay—imbues each work with a delicate balance between fragility and strength.
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.”
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 artist will be in attendance at the gallery for selected days during the exhibition. Please stay tuned for more information, or contact us with your inquiry.