[Both at 1 1/2  cols]

Sakurai Yasuko (b 1969), “Orb-Transformation,” 2007, white globular sculpture with skeletal perforations, porcelain, 163/8 by 16½ by 173/8  inches. 

Katsumata Chieko (b 1950), untitled, 2007, biomorphic sculpture in the form of a pumpkin with matte glazes in deep red and black, stoneware, 10¾ by 11 by 11¾  inches.

 

 

Revised for date

FOR 11/2

JAPANESE WOMEN CERAMISTS JOAN B MIRVISS LTD w/2 cuts

ak/gs set 10/25 #717272

NEW YORK CITY — Joan B Mirviss Ltd is presenting “Breaking the Mold/Kata o yaburu” — the first American exhibition featuring the work of today’s leading Japanese women ceramists — on view  through December 15.

Despite Japan’s long history in clay, women have traditionally played only a minor role in its development — relegated primarily to production ware or as administrators in large family workshops. It is only with the current generation that they have been able to surmount the various social barriers that hampered their efforts to emerge as independent artists.

Joan Mirviss, who recently opened her gallery after 30 years as a private dealer, said, “Now for the first time, many of these groundbreaking woman ceramists stand on the world stage, with their work entering major museum collections across the globe.”

Of the 11 ceramists selected to participate in this show, each has emerged from a distinct background, traveling diverse roads through her training and artistic development that has often circumvented the more traditional routes open to male counterparts. As a result, said Mirviss, “these artists have sought creative inspiration from wide-ranging and often unexpected sources.”

Some, like Futamura Yoshimi, Katsumata Chieko, Koike Shoko, Sakurai Yasuko and Tashima Etsuko, take their inspiration from nature — the sea, water, light, plants and flowers. While others, including Hoshino Kayoko, have derived much of their aesthetic from ancient traditions. Kitamura Junko and Kishi Eiko have looked to traditional Japanese art such as textiles and the Noh theater.

Emerging artist Fujino Sachiko draws her ideas from an exploration of inner emotions turning them into expressions in clay. Mishima Kimiyo, a pioneer in the field, parodies mundane elements of contemporary life through her own Pop Art-style interpretations. The powerful sculptural forms of Ogawa Machiko simultaneously embody many of these themes while resisting any clear associations.

All these women are masters of their medium, they explore the art of clay in startling new and independent ways, with a special eloquence and strength, dramatically and uniquely their own.

Joan B Mirviss Ltd is at 39 East 78th Street, 4th floor. For information, 212-799-4021 or www.mirviss.com.