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Masaomi Yasunaga "Empty Vessel"
Gallery 85.4
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Artists
Masaomi Yasunaga
Masaomi Yasunaga has pursued his expression physically and philosophically through unprecedented techniques, creating works that can be seen as assemblages of glaze, stone, glass, and mosaic, inviting viewers into a realm of empathy and the unknown. His curiosity and exploration of physics, time, and mystery are evident in his work. According to the artist, "There is always some distance when we detach our consciousness from our present selves and think about something else." Exploring beauty under circumstances where his own intervention, such as firing, does not permit it is not easy, along with the spiritual distance. However, letting go of control over the material and allowing the transformation through firing is the most crucial aspect of Yasunaga's production and the essence of his exploration. The forms, molded against gravity by the artist's will, transform through the heat and gravity of firing, changing their appearance. This process is a return from artifacts to nature, simultaneously narrating the disappearance of the ego. The constructed material and emotions melt and merge in the heat, and what remains after firing is an empty vessel.
Masaomi Yasunaga was born in Osaka in 1982 to a father who worked as an engineer for a power company and a devout Christian mother. At the age of six, he moved to Mie Prefecture. At 17, while attending an open campus event at Osaka Institute of Technology, he encountered the work of Akira Hoshino and was struck by its strangeness, joining Hoshino's seminar to receive direct instruction. After graduation, he moved to Iga, where he continued to create sculptural works while also working as a ceramic artist, with the wood firing he conducted during this time leading to his current firing theory.
During this period, Yasunaga became interested in antiques and their emptiness. Also, upon his grandmother's death, he created glaze from her ashes after cremation and fired porcelain with it, motivated by the desire to never forget her death. Throughout his work in ceramics, Yasunaga consistently pursued firing, accumulating experiences, and in 2012, he began creating sculptures using only glaze. In 2015, prompted by the birth of his eldest son, he started the Empty Creature series, which had not existed before as vessels of life. This series, shaped in an animalistic manner with his unique techniques and materials, evokes various histories and places, creating a beautiful yet eerie menagerie. The exhibition at Gallery 85.4 continues Yasunaga's philosophy of presenting these empty vessels as vessels of life.
Masaomi Yasunaga is based in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, and is represented by Nonaka-Hill.
Masaomi Yasunaga was born in Osaka in 1982 to a father who worked as an engineer for a power company and a devout Christian mother. At the age of six, he moved to Mie Prefecture. At 17, while attending an open campus event at Osaka Institute of Technology, he encountered the work of Akira Hoshino and was struck by its strangeness, joining Hoshino's seminar to receive direct instruction. After graduation, he moved to Iga, where he continued to create sculptural works while also working as a ceramic artist, with the wood firing he conducted during this time leading to his current firing theory.
During this period, Yasunaga became interested in antiques and their emptiness. Also, upon his grandmother's death, he created glaze from her ashes after cremation and fired porcelain with it, motivated by the desire to never forget her death. Throughout his work in ceramics, Yasunaga consistently pursued firing, accumulating experiences, and in 2012, he began creating sculptures using only glaze. In 2015, prompted by the birth of his eldest son, he started the Empty Creature series, which had not existed before as vessels of life. This series, shaped in an animalistic manner with his unique techniques and materials, evokes various histories and places, creating a beautiful yet eerie menagerie. The exhibition at Gallery 85.4 continues Yasunaga's philosophy of presenting these empty vessels as vessels of life.
Masaomi Yasunaga is based in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, and is represented by Nonaka-Hill.
Schedule | May 11 (Sat) 2024-Jun 16 (Sun) 2024 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Venue | Gallery 85.4 https://www.instagram.com/gallery85.4/  | ||||
| Location | 1F Jingumae fashion Bldg., 2-6-7 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 | ||||
| Access | 7 minute walk from exit 3 at Gaiemmae Station on the Ginza line; 10 minute walk from exit 5 at Meiji-jingumae Station on the Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines; 10 minute walk from exit A2 at Omotesando Station on the Hanzomon, Ginza and Chiyoda lines. | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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