The blossoming of modern Western art in the post-war period has been well documented. Parallel to this is a much less heralded development – the emergence of avant-garde art in Japan, notably in the realm of ceramics, that transformed what has historically been viewed as mere functional objects into works of art worthy of being collected and displayed in galleries and museums.  This post unveils the story of this fascinating development, the pioneers behind this transformation and some prominent young artists today who continue to push artistic boundaries to test the limits of clay.

Beginnings

In the aftermath of World War 2, Japanese artists, like the rest of Japanese society were trying to come to terms with the ravages of war, and to look for new directions to move forward. In the cultural sphere, Japanese artists revelled in a newfound freedom for expression, played out in spectacular fashion in the art of pottery making. At a time when craftsmen were producing humble objects such as tea cups and tea bowls and pottery making was considered as a craft, several art pioneers in Kyoto formed the first avant-garde ceramics group in 1947. Calling themselves members of Shikokai, (Society of Four Harvests), the group comprised ceramicists Sango Uno, Uichi Shimizu and Yasuo Hayashi, and painter Yasuyuki Suzuki.

In essence, Shikokai’s vision was to elevate ceramics into an art form. This means that the method of creation is not grounded in detailed drawings or plans but relies on rough images or sketchy outlines. The artist was to determine the form of the work as it unfolds before their eyes. Members of the group met often to discuss their works in this spirit of “thinking while making”. The group continued their activities until 1956 when it was disbanded. 

A parallel avant-garde ceramics group was formed in 1948, again in Kyoto, that firmly set the course of Japanese ceramics towards abstraction. Calling itself Sodeisha (“Crawling through Mud Association”), the founding members were Yagi Kazuo Yagi, Yamada Hikaru and Suzuki Osamu. This group was formed in opposition to the Mingei (folk-craft) movement, which was the dominant ceramic style in mid-20th century Japan. In pursuit of abstraction, their work was characterized by biomorphic and slab-built geometric forms that often have no real functions (e.g., they have no holes or mouths to suggest that their sculptural vessels could be used as vase or pot). Western abstract artists such as Klee, Miro and Picasso were an obvious influence on members of the group, as were ceramics produced by the Japanese American designer and sculptor, Isamu Noguchi and Peter Voulkos, an American abstract ceramic artist of Greek descent. At its peak, Sodeisha had nearly 40 members in the 1960s, and was active until 1998 when the group disbanded.

The members of Shikokai and Sodeisha redefined themselves as artists rather than merely craftsmen or makers of utilitarian objects. Both groups placed a premium on individual expression, much like their Western counterparts. Clay was just a medium for expression, the means by which mud is turned into objects of art worthy of being admired in museums and art galleries, much like a Jackson Pollock or Mark Rothko painting.

Selected Works by Members of Shikokai

Selected Works by Members of Sodeisha

Carrying the Torch: Modern Ceramic Artists of Japan