Kazunori Ohnaka Vase 12

Dimensions: W 16cm x H 13cm 

Materials: Shigarki "信楽" clay

Method:  Hand built

Care: Not watertight, to clean dust lightly with a cloth

Description

Contemporary ceramicist Kazunori Ohnaka crafted this restrained and distinctive vase using Shigarki clay. Its finish consists of multiple layers of alternating earthy stone white hues with darker, dappled inclusions, artistically worked by hand and tool to attain a surface with history and depth. A glaze is then applied using a brush, sponge or by the hand of the artist. Ohnaka’s unique and masterful firing process allows him to achieve a sublime and aged surface. The materials chosen by the artist specifically influence the techniques and tools required to realise the work. Ohnaka believes it is a collaborative work between the creator and the user, that the forms are complete when explored and shared. Imbuing these methodologies into his practice has resulted in an original and dynamic body of work. This vase has a beautifully meditated, stone-like body. Adorning one face of the vessel is an intersecting, exquisitely formed recess with the patinating structure of woodgrain.  Its minimalistic burnished surface and deep natural hues give this vase presence.

About the Artist

Ceramicist Kazunori Ohnaka lives and works in Yamaguchi. Influenced by ancient Japanese objects and the concept of ‘Yūgen’, meaning ‘mysterious profundity’, Ohnaka’s energetic ceramics are made with a distinctive clay and firing process to create a sense of incompleteness that suggests the passage of time. He hopes that these objects come to life once again in the hands of their users.