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Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd is a fine art gallery exclusively dedicated to celebrating modern and contemporary works of ceramic art from Japan
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SAYAKA + SAYAKA
Contemporary ceramics by Shingu and Oishi Sayaka
Exhibition catalog
On view: October 17 - November 1, 2024
18 East 64th Street, Ste 1F
New York, NY, 10065, USA
www daiichiarts com
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The intricate microcosms created by Shingu Sayaka and Oishi Sayaka converge the realms of flora and fauna, expressing profound ideas through their artistic practice and expanding the potential of "decoration" as a primary mode of ceramic expression Their meticulous surface treatments initiates dialogues that reflects their distinct sensitivity to elusive concepts such as the soul, impermanence, interconnectedness, and humanity. Their deep understanding of these themes imbues their work with a unique emotional resonance.
In this exhibition, the works of Shingu Sayaka and Oishi Sayaka are divided into two thematic realms: “FLORA” and “FAUNA ” One artist immerses us in a botanical landscape, while the other brings to life vibrant, animated beings that appear to dance across the ceramic surfaces they inhabit. In both domains, the artists convey a profound empathy through their ceramic creations, reflecting a nuanced understanding of humanity’s complex relationship with nature.
Their works invite viewers to ponder the innate worlds of sentient beings and the transient beauty of nature They also emphasize the significance of personal experience whether grounded in reality or imagination urging us to see and experience the interconnectedness of all living things and our place within this intricate web
We warmly invite you to explore their captivating worlds of beauty, transience, and wonder through the dialogue established by their artworks in this unique duo show.
– The Dai Ichi Arts Team, September 2024
A K A
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S H I N G U S
Shingu Sayaka (born 1979) is a contemporary ceramic artist based in Osaka, Japan After having graduated from the Osaka University of Arts in 2003, she joined an apprenticeship program at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shiga, Japan, where she was deeply moved by the work of contemporary artist, Sugiura Yasuyoshi Her work is celebrated for its naturalistic forms, particularly for her ceramic sculptures of cut flowers, which are constructed from mixed clay with slip and glaze using intricate hand building and glazing methods that embody great care and restraint in her craft
Shingu takes on floral motifs as a metaphor for impermanence, ephemerality, and fleeting beauty. She takes on a quintessentially Japanese aesthetic tradition which celebrates the ephemeral, and has quoted a celebrated verse by the 9th century female poet Ono no Komachi as a distillation of many of her themes:
花の⾊はうつりにけりないたづらにわが⾝世 にふるながめせしまに
The flowers have withered, Their color faded away, While I spend my days in idle sorrow, As the rains of my past life fall.
From the anthology of Waka poems, Hyakunin Isshu (百⼈⼀⾸)
Shingu’s sculptures showcase intricate, delicate craftsmanship, entirely hand-built from clay. At first glance, it's hard to believe the pieces are made of ceramic, as they evoke the realism of a cut flower, invoking the image of morning dew on silvery glazes on the petals, as well as the tiny stamens and pistils of a flower in bloom Her pieces conjure a dual sense of impermanence: while her ceramic work is physically delicate, the image of the flower it represents remains eternally intact, never fading like a real bloom would
Her work has received significant attention and awards, including selection for the 42nd Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition and exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Kyoto Arts and Crafts Biennale (The Museum of Kyoto), The Portland Art Museum, and more
After receiving her BFA at the Kyoto University of Arts in 2003, Oishi Sayaka (born 1980) has honed her gorgeous maximalist style of iconography to express fantastical renditions on her ceramic surfaces that encompass both sculpture and functional vessel forms What may initially appear as a random amalgam of life forms and their fragments reveals itself as a deeply humanistic expression of life, an affirmation of a sense of co-existence within the natural world Through her vibrant, maximalist designs, Oishi’s ceramic works bring forth entire worlds, and by doing so she instills in the viewer an unmistakable sense of empathy and wonder
Oishi’s sculptures evoke the Japanese concept of Mono no aware (物の哀れ), often translated as “the pathos of things” or “ a sensitivity to ephemera.” This concept reflects an awareness of impermanence (mujō, 無常), the transient nature of life, and a bittersweet recognition of beauty's fleetingness Her pieces embody a quiet, wistful reflection on the passage of time, while simultaneously confronting the grandeur of nature with understated strength Though delicate in appearance, her sculptures possess a sense of scale and power, echoing nature’s vastness and cyclical rhythms.
Oishi’s work follows in the footsteps of renowned Japanese women artists, such as Matsuda Yuriko, who have elevated the decorative ceramics tradition. Oishi has quickly garnered recognition, being nominated for prestigious awards like the Kasama Ceramic Award and the Paramita Museum Ceramic Art Grand Prize Her art has been showcased at major institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, among others
O I S H I S A Y A K A ⼤ ⽯ 早 ⽮ ⾹
Shingu Sayaka’s ceramic sculptures celebrate the botanical beauty of nature while defying the inevitability of decay Her works immortalize the fleeting beauty of living organisms, capturing the brief life of a flower in bloom, where death is an inevitable part of its cycle.
Her ceramic works are named after the flowers they represent, such as Camellia blossoms or parts of a flower’s anatomy revealed through dissection For example, her series titled “Calyx” refers to the sepals of a flower, which form a protective layer spiraling around the petals, shielding the flower while it is still in bud Though her sculptures explicitly depict flowers, Shingu’s complex and skilled surface treatment introduces a visual ambiguity to her functional works The "petals," or clay sheets, wrap around the vessel’s form like layers of organic material wrapped around her vessels These sheets- beautifully textured with incised lines created using a scalpel-
are further defined by injecting black slip into the incisions to produce intricate rosette shapes These forms not only suggest petals but also evoke insect or butterfly wings, feathers, leaves or other delicate, ephemeral motifs, which any one may discover with delight upon closer inspection.
Shingu’s latest series, inspired by the lotus leaves scattered across the Kansai region encompassing Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, beautifully captures the essence of this iconic plant Her ceramic sculptures immortalize the lotus, lifting it from its natural aquatic environment onto solid ground, symbolizing a deep reverence for nature's interconnectedness The sculptures evoke a sense of ritualistic meditation and tranquility The glazed surfaces mimic the delicate water droplets often seen on the expansive leaves in nature, adding a sense of realism to the sculpture C H A P T E R O N E · F L O R A
Shingu Sayaka 新宮さやか (Pictured left and above) 3 Lotus leaf sake cups 荷葉, 2023 varying sizes
No 51 Sculpture: “Erosion” 熾の陶, 2023, With signed wood plate, mixed clay with glaze slip, (h) 24 × (w) 42 × (d) 38 cm
This iconic fruit evokes a myriad of stories, from the Biblical apple of knowledge and the tale of Snow White to the golden apple of beauty in the Trojan War of Greek mythology. Oishi's “Apple” series fuses these timeless motifs, offering fresh and thought-provoking interpretations of collective human history through the meticulously detailed surfaces of her sculptures A P P L E B Y O I S H I S A Y A K A
In Oishi Sayaka’s “Apple” sculpture series, she draws inspiration from the apple’s deep symbolic significance across both Western and Eastern cultures Throughout mythology and literature, the apple has often symbolized profound themes such as humanity's bond with nature, the duality of good and evil, and the cyclical nature of life and death
The term “Anima”, which Oishi Sayaka has chosen as the title for her new series, unveils a rich concept: At its core, the term has been conceptualized as “the soul or animating principle of a living being ” This idea resonates powerfully in Oishi’s ceramic vessels and sculptures, whose intricate surfaces teem with motifs of fauna deer, lions, coral reefs, turtles, body parts, fish, birds, bones, and more.
Fauna, representing the organic diversity of life in the animal kingdom, serves as a symbolic bridge to the Anima in Oishi’s work Her ceramic surfaces expresses a delicate dualism of nature, as the creatures depicted on her surfaces embody different aspects of life’s vitality, fragility, and interconnectedness Hands emerge from delicate layers of folded petals and coral, with flashes of iconic blue glaze on marbled clay evoking the sea and ocean-floor minerals Amidst this, the face of a magpie appears, koi fish leap from the water,
wings sprout, feathers grow, and a gecko darts across the scene It is hard to believe that her works do not come to life with movement as you gaze upon its surfaces Through the dynamic expression of these organisms, Oishi emphasizes that the anima is not a static entity but a force that pulses throughout the natural world
What may initially appear as a random amalgam of life forms and their fragments reveals itself as a deeply humanistic expression of life, an affirmation of a sense of interconnectedness and coexistence within the natural world Through her vibrant, maximalist designs teeming with life, Oishi’s ceramic works bring forth entire worlds, and by doing so she instills in the viewer an unmistakable sense of empathy and wonder C H A P T E R T W O · F A U N A
205 × (w) 13 × (d) 9 cm
No 10 Sake vessel “Memento Mori” 酒器, 2024, stoneware stand with gold leaf and detachable glass vessel, (h) 85 × (w) 12 × (d) 8 cm
No 7 Sake vessel “Memento Mori” 酒器, 2024, stoneware stand with gold leaf and detachable glass vessel, (h) 8 × (w) 12 × (d) 8 cm
Exhibition catalog © DAI ICHI ARTS, LTD., 2024
Authorship: Beatrice Chang, Kristie Lui, Oishi Sayaka, Shingu Sayaka
Catalog production: Haruka Miyazaki 宮崎晴⾹, Yoriko Kuzumi 久住依⼦, Kristie Lui
Photography: Yoriko Kuzumi 久住依⼦
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