When I am empty please dispose of me properly

Mihara Ken is an exceptional ceramist whose new work is currently on view in the show “Kigen - A New Beginning” at the Yufuku Gallery in Tokyo. Traditionally, he has crafted his sekki wares through a complicated double firing where the bisqued vessels are encased in a layer of clay, which is removed after the second firing to reveal the rawness of the ceramic body, free of any of the kiln effects caused by direct exposure to the fire. In his most recent work, such as the pieces in the current Yufuku exhibition, he has fired them a third time to bring out an additional range of colors not seen in his previous vessels (see below).

This surface quality of stony weight and subtle texture that he creates through his firing process lends a kind of silent monumentality to what are relatively modest pieces, ranging in form from vegetal inspired sculptural subjects to vessels echoing ancient objects, such as Jou (Chou) and Han dynasty bronze artifacts. In past work, he seems to have created forms that almost suggest a prototype in metal, again similar to certain ancient Chinese ceramics, which were in fact meant to imitate bronze. However, Mihara’s vases and bowls do not imitate vessel forms in other media nor should they be seen as doing so; but are, rather, echoes of past moments from the history of art, echoes whose cadence Mihara has captured in his own ?artifacts. In this sense, his pieces strike me as a kind of artistic archaeology. That is, they communicate an idea of past materiality in a tangible, haptic way that transcends verbal descriptions of ancient forms because his work brings them new life and allows us to experience them afresh.

The pieces represented in the current show move toward greater abstraction and simplicity, perhaps to better emphasis the rich surface textures and variations of color achieved through his innovative firing technique. The segmentation that divides many of these recent pieces horizontally nearly mirror bamboo joints. However, rather than maintain a fixed, identifiable mimetic referent, these facets create simple, compelling surfaces upon which variations in color record the dance of the kiln’s fire. To see Mihara’s latest work as a surface to be written upon is not entirely devoid of merit when one considers the explicit analogy he makes between clay and paper in his origami pieces. The ambiguity of form enriches the work and provides a dynamic movement that complements the color complexity of his new vessels. Mihara’s artistic production represents a significant new direction in contemporary Japanese studio ceramics as well as a profound engagement with ancient forms.

Below I have compiled links to much of the information available about Mihara. He is soon to have a show in New York, but until then one may find several articles about him in Japanese in the magazine, Honoho Geijutsu. A relatively in-depth piece in Japanese can be found here and at the Yufuku website. English information on Mihara is available from Wahei Aoyama’s gallery site, Toku Art Limited, and Robert Yellin’s e-yakimono.net. Below, I have compiled a series of photographs from these websites, but please visit the sites themselves for a more extensive selection.

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