Windswept Porcelain Sculpture by Kino Satoshi

KINO SATOSHI

Windswept Porcelain S culpture by

KINO SATOSHI April 21 – May 15, 2020

JOAN B MIRVISS LTD

“I am fascinated by the nature of porcelain which can simultaneously express two extremes —solidity and delicacy, or stress and tranquility. The dichotomy of each clay body and its thickly applied seihakuji (bluish-white) celadon glaze echo this tension.”

– Kino Satoshi

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颪 Oroshi - Spiral 2019 Glazed porcelain 9 5/8 x 20 x 13 1/4 in.

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Fascinated by the potential of fired porcelain to become like stone when polished, Kino Satoshi (b. 1987) chose to focus on porcelain.

His sculptures resemble long, billowing ribbons or twisting coils. Rather than moldcasting, Kino throws a spherical band on the wheel, then severs this tapered band into segments. Using the centrifugal force of the wheel, he manually transforms these thin, attenuated, sections into flowing works of art. After drying, he thoroughly sands the entire work prior to bisque firing. Before the final firing in a reduction atmosphere, a translucent bluish-white (seihakuji) glaze is applied with a compressor.

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颪 Oroshi - Loop 2019 Glazed porcelain 9 5/8 x 20 x 13 1/4 in.

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Oroshi - Coil 2019 Glazed porcelain 7 1/8 x 14 5/8 x 7 1/8 in.

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颪 Oroshi - Twist 2019 Glazed porcelain 9 5/8 x 20 x 13 1/4 in.

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潎 ChĹ?seki (#11220) 2019 Glazed porcelain 1 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 11 3/8 in.

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潮汐 Chōseki (#11715) 2019 Glazed porcelain 1 1/4 x 11 7/8 x 14 5/8 in.

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The delicate seihakuji glaze was introduced to Japan in the 12th century by returning visitors from the Jingdezhen kilns in China. Buddhist priests and the ruling classes of the Kamakura period (1195-1333) were infatuated by the delicate color of the porcelain and prized it greatly for its lush surfaces. When the tea masters of the 16th century, like Sen no Rikyu turned away from opulence and embraced the native stonewares of rural Japan, seihakuji-glazed vessels lost favor as they were seen as too opulent.

This glaze style was re-discovered in the mid-twentieth century by artists such as Suzuki Osamu and Yoshikawa Masamichi

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(among others) who employed it to great effect. The early 20th century clay master, Tsukamoto Kaiji even earned distinction as the first Living National Treasure for seihakuji glaze in 1983.

Oroshi - Loop 2019 Glazed porcelain 9 1/2 x 27 1/8 x 7 5/8 in.

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Oroshi - Vortex 2019 Glazed porcelain 10 3/8 x 17 3/4 x 13 in.

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ChĹ?seki (#11221) 2019 Glazed porcelain 1 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 11 3/8 in.

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ChĹ?seki (#11716) 2019 Glazed porcelain 1 1/8 x 12 3/8 x 14 3/4 in.

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One of only a handful of contemporary artists currently and successfully working with seihakuji glazes, Kino remarks that achieving the right effect on each piece is difficult as he must apply the glaze thickly to the thin, porcelain bodies placing undue strain on the sculptures during firing. The heavy application of glaze can cause the porcelain to crack, thus his rate of loss in the kiln is high. Still he persists and his mastery is evident in the Oroshi series from which sculptures have recently found homes with the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art and the Ibaraki Prefecture Museum of Ceramic Art. Another piece from the series earned him the Special Prize at the Taiwan International Ceramics Biennale.

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Oroshi - Loop 2019 Glazed porcelain 9 5/8 x 20 x 13 1/4 in.

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Kino Satoshi at his studio in Tamsui, Taiwan

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Published in conjunction with the exhibition Windswept Porcelain Sculpture by Kino Satoshi Joan B Mirviss LTD, NY April 21 - May 15, 2020 Photographers: Zero Hung | Richard Goodbody Text: Tracy Causey-Jeffery Catalog Design: Yukiko Ishii

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