SHOZO MICHIKAWA

Description

Torsion and tension are characteristic of the vessels created by the exceptional
Japanese ceramicist Shozo Michikawa (b. 1953), whose works are
reminiscent of rock strata and lava flows. Michikawa is known for his
unique technique, for turning edgy, dynamic sculptures on the potter’s
wheel. First he cuts and scores a solid block of clay before he carves out the
interior hollow through pressing and turning with a rod and his hands.
Natural-looking surfaces emerge, just as geological forces formed the
earth’s surface – an irrepressible energy from the inside out. With a selection
of works from the last fifteen years, Shozo Michikawa introduces the
first comprehensive insight into his ceramic production, which has
attracted attention across the globe.

Shozo Michikawa’s work is highly sought after throughout the world. The Museum für
Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (DE), LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art (US),
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (GB), National Museum of Wales in Cardiff (GB), Philadelphia
Museum of Art (US), Qinglingsi Temple in Xi’an (CN) and Shimada City Museum (JP) are
among the institutions that have acquired his work.

Dr Clare Pollard is curator of Japanese art at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (UK).
Her main area of research is the decorative arts of the Meiji era, in particular the work of the
potter Miyagawa Kozan.

Dr Nora von Achenbach works as an academic associate and curator for various exhibition
projects on Chinese and Japanese arts. Since 2000 she has headed the East Asian and Islamic
Department at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (DE).