MUST RUN 6/13

PUCKER GALLERY HOSTS MATSUZAKI & BLUM, NEW WORKS

ak/gs set 6/4 #741546

BOSTON, MASS. — Renowned ceramic artist Ken Matsuzaki, of Japan, returns to Boston for his fourth exhibition at Pucker Gallery, which is on view with the whimsical etchings of Zevi Blum, June 14–July 14.

This exhibition will feature selections from Matsuzaki’s most recent firing, which yielded 85 new works in his trademark shino, oribe and natural ash glazes. Since graduating from Tamagawa University in 1972, Matsuzaki has developed a personal style of ceramics that both honors and challenges the Mingei folk pottery tradition in Japan. Established in part by Shoji Hamada and followed by his apprentice, including Matsuzaki’s teacher, Tatsuzo Shimaoka (1919–2007), the Mingei movement emphasizes that the beauty of an object is rooted in its use.

Matsuzaki’s works are made with the intention of use but are also visually stunning, pleasing the viewer with tactile, hand applied glazes and sculptural, often hand built, forms.

Matsuzaki has exhibited his ceramics in group exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His works are part of permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Arts and the San Francisco Asian Art Museum.

Blum captures the absurdity of life and satirizes existence in his beautifully composed etchings. Born in Paris, Blum was formally trained as an architect and was later a professor of fine arts at Cornell University for 25 years. His balanced and intricate etchings and hand colored etchings are filled with allusions to religion, mythology and fairytales, and present a rich array of timeless characters that represent universal ideas.

The exhibition will also present The Brothers Schlemiel, a new hardcover book written by Mark Binder and illustrated by the artist. Blum’s original etchings for that publication will be available for viewing.

Blum’s work can be found in many collections including the Boston Public Library, the Corcoran Gallery, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and Pennsylvania State University.

The Pucker Gallery is at 171 Newbury Street. For more information, 617-267-9473 or www.puckergallery.com.