Ōtani Shirō, Shigaraki senmonki (Shigaraki vessel with banded patterning), 2010, 17 3/4 x 12 5/8 x 11 7/8 in. On view in “Clay as Soft Power,” University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Shigaraki: Contemporary Artists on an Ancient Tradition,
Joan B Mirviss LTD
Zoom program, February 23, 5pm EST

Known for its distinctive clay and beautiful natural ash glazes, Shigaraki ware is one of Japan’s celebrated ceramic traditions. As one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kiln sites, Shigaraki has long produced functional vessels with a characteristic rustic appearance in warm, earthy tones. This enormously appealing tradition found a new audience with American artists and collectors in the past few decades, thereby expanding our idea of Shigaraki-yaki’s possibilities. Curator Natsu Oyobe shares this remarkable crossover story, which is the subject of her current exhibition, Clay as Soft Power. She will be joined by two featured artists who will offer key insights into their process of working in this fascinating medium: Shiga-based Ōtani Shiro, a leader in wood-fired ceramics and designated an Intangible Cultural Asset, and American artist Peter Callas, whose originality has pushed the field in new directions and has been twice awarded the Pollock-Krasner Fellowship. Together, they provide an extraordinarily modern view of Shigaraki ware in the 21st century.

PANELISTS:
Peter Callas, artist
Ōtani Shiro, artist
Natsu Oyobe, Curator of Asian Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art, MI
Moderated by Joan Mirviss

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