Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists

Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists

Women have traditionally played only a minor role in Japan's long history in clay.  Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists features a selection of works by living emerging and internationally established Japanese women ceramic artists.  Pioneering new forms and technical and aesthetic innovations in the medium, these remarkable artists are breaking barriers and forging new ways of creating and thinking about ceramics that reflect changes occurring in contemporary Japanese art and society. The works express the influence of nature, innovations in ceramic making techniques, and a diverse array of practices.  

These ceramics offer a contemporary and artistic counterpart to W&L’s traditional and functional Senshin'an Tea Room and its tea-wares. Encountering the works in this exhibition gives us the opportunity to expand our understanding of Japanese culture and art through a medium that straddles the old and the new. As the Museums at W&L continues to broaden its interpretation of ceramic history, we invite you to reflect on ceramics as a global art form and clay as a medium that spans many continents.

This exhibit is free and open to the public, with a scheduled reception and Curator Talk on Wednesday, March 8, from 5 - 7 PM.

Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists is organized by The Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas. This exhibition was curated by Dr. Jacqueline Chao, with the help of Senior Curator of Art, Patricia Hobbs, and Janet Ikeda, Associate Professor of Japanese.

Artists: Fukumoto Fuku, Tokuda Yasokichi IV, Katsumata Chieko, Matsuda Yuriko, Koike Shōko, Kishi Eiko, Mori Aya, Hayashi Kaku, Futamura Yoshimi, Tanaka Tomomi, Inaba Chikako, Fujikasa Satoko, Yamamoto Junko, Takatsu Mio, and Kitamura Junko.

Above Images: Katsumoto Fuku, Katsumata Chieko, Untitled, 2009; Koike Shoko, Untitled, 2009; Matsuda Yuriko, In Her Shoes, 2008