Author(s): Russell Kelty

CERAMICS | ALL THINGS JAPANESE

Pure form: Japanese sculptural ceramics will present the rich diversity of sculptural ceramics created in Japan from the 1950s. The first exhibition of its kind in Australia to chart the complex narrative of Japanese ceramics in the post-war war period, the accompanying publication will illustrate all the works of art which are primarily in private collections augumented by some key works in public collections across Australia.Today, Japan has one of the most dynamic ceramic cultures in the world. This vibrant culture is in part due to a transformation which began with members of Sodeisha (Crawling through Mud Association) and their creation of non-functional, sculptural, ceramic objects. The monumental shift initiated by this group liberated subsequent generations of ceramicists from the well-established hierarchies of taste. The result was a world-leading shift in ceramic expression, positioning contemporary Japanese works at the forefront of international modernism.Pure form presents sculptural ceramics created by artists in the post-war period, whose individual practices explore the expressive potential of clay by engaging with both tradition and innovation. The book and exhibition will be the first to present the emergence of female ceramicists as a creative force in the late twentieth century.