TAB Event - Osamu Kojima "The Sparkle of Ceramics"

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At INAX Gallery 1 & 2
Media: Ceramics, Art Talk

Osamu Kojima has been making ceramics for almost 15 years, exhibiting his work widely both in Japan and abroad. In recent years, his works have come to resemble coagulated, black lava flows with a commanding presence and sense of materiality.
Consisting of earth that has been compacted and shaped into a mass measuring one meter in every direction and weighing up to one ton, Kojima's work has the appearance of a pile of soil that has accumulated since ancient times, finished with a vivid glaze that seems to flow like magma and yet also sparkles with a glassy, mineral-like quality. Such pieces communicate something of the rich, fertile quality of soil, entrancing the viewer.
Kojima has participated in several artist-in-residence programs that afforded him the chance and environment to create such large works. While previously carrying the limits of size to their extremes, Kojima's newer work was of a more modest size, measuring 3-40cm across, that could be held up by one person.
While these new works have become able to be easily exhibited within the space of a typical gallery, the impression of lava is intact, with its sense of surging energy and concentrated density, a lively, swelling motion, and looking as if it would scald you if you touched it. However, also present is a hitherto absent sense of intimacy.
According to Kojima, he fires his kiln twice a day to finish his pieces, and the number he makes influences and transforms the energy it takes to make these large scale works. The jet black rockiness of the clay's texture, along with the polished, gem-like green or purple glaze, are some of the special qualities of Kojima's work. He has also carried out similar experiments with white porcelain clay to create art objects with a somewhat different flavor.
Prior to this exhibition, Kojima's large and smaller pieces were exhibited together at the INAX Tile Museum's "New Sensibilities in Ceramics Series" exhibition held in May 2008 (Tokoname, Aichi), winning much acclaim. This exhibition in the Galleria Ceramica showcases about 10 smaller works.

Artist talk: September 5th (Fri) 18:30-19:00

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