Kazumi Nakamura makes ceramic sculptures in Kyoto. She ignores the traditional Japanese focus on functional pottery. Her work belongs to the lineage of the post-war Sodeisha movement. Those artists closed the mouths of their vessels so they could not hold water.
Nakamura uses wood-fired anagama kilns. The firing process takes days. Ash and flame dictate the final glaze. The results are scorched and heavily textured. She sculpts human forms caught in physical tension.
The art world historically dismissed ceramics as a craft. Nakamura’s pieces now command high auction prices. Her recent exhibitions in London and Tokyo drew serious collectors. Buyers want tactile objects in a digital world.
She forces clay into unsettling shapes. The art establishment treats her work like bronze or marble sculpture. The pieces are heavy and fragile.
