AKIKO TSUJI
CERAMICS
My process of creating ceramic work is in some ways similar to that of creating architecture or designing products, except that I allow my pieces to have their own will. I let them be. The result is work that will remind you of something familiar but at the same time propose something new. It is about something focused yet organic, robust yet sensitive, and at once simple and complex.
I like to leave clay raw after firing, adding glazes only when needed. As in painting, I experiment with mixing glazes for unexpected textures and colors. Scratches, imprints, cuts, rips, drips, and brush strokes remain intentionally present. Much like in improvisational music, where control and non-control, addition and reduction, are essential in bringing something closer to life.
It starts with impressions I receive from things in the world. Like the vast space in the sky, the shadows that cast upon brightly painted walls, or the stream of rainwater sliding. I flip through the pages of vintage books or find a particular scene in a movie, and there, suddenly, intriguing words, colors, and shapes spark inspiration. I immediately take my pencil, draw a quick sketch, and let things take their course. – Akiko Tsuji
I like to leave clay raw after firing, adding glazes only when needed. As in painting, I experiment with mixing glazes for unexpected textures and colors. Scratches, imprints, cuts, rips, drips, and brush strokes remain intentionally present. Much like in improvisational music, where control and non-control, addition and reduction, are essential in bringing something closer to life.
It starts with impressions I receive from things in the world. Like the vast space in the sky, the shadows that cast upon brightly painted walls, or the stream of rainwater sliding. I flip through the pages of vintage books or find a particular scene in a movie, and there, suddenly, intriguing words, colors, and shapes spark inspiration. I immediately take my pencil, draw a quick sketch, and let things take their course. – Akiko Tsuji
Black Mountain Tokkuri Vase, Akiko Tsuji, 2019
Black Mountain U Object, Akiko Tsuji, 2019
Black Mountain Cut Object, Akiko Tsuji, 2019
Black Mountain Object T, Akiko Tsuji, 2019
Chiseled Rock Vase, Akiko Tsuji, 2016
Paloma Vase, Akiko Tsuji, 2016
Black Mountain Object, Akiko Tsuji, 2019
Akiko Tsuji, Chartreuse Block Wind Vase, Akiko Tsuji, 2018
Graffiti Vessel, Akiko Tsuji, 2017
JC Vase, Akiko Tsuji, 2015
Black Canary Vessel, Akiko Tsuji, 2015
Yellow Vase, Akiko Tsuji, 2017
Black Mountain Nerikomi Vase 2, Akiko Tsuji, 2019
Black Mountain Nerikomi Vase 1, Akiko Tsuji, 2019