Ken Mihara: 'Kyo'

At A Lighthouse called Kanata

When I was in Izumo on the western coast of Japan during the summer, I visited the studio and home of Japanese ceramicist Ken Mihara. I was fortunate enough to witness him working on his next solo exhibition at the Tokyo-based gallery named A Lighthouse called Kanata. Now that the exhibition is opening, it is possible to see him present his series Kyo (Echoes), which includes the exquisite pieces on which he worked at his studio in the summer. The new forms, which capture the landscape of his hometown, embody his signature while adding new dimensions and layers to his existing oeuvre. Mihara, one of the leading voices in contemporary Japanese ceramics today, has forged his language by hand-building his abstract sculpturesin coils, blending them together into surprising, somewhat architectural forms, and by allowing the clay itself to speak without adding glazes or any other coating.

In the catalogue for the new exhibition, Wahei Aoyama, the gallery’s founder states, “Mihara-san’s sculptures do not use any glaze, ash, or slip. Instead, each landscape of colour pours from the clay itself through multiple gas-kiln firings of great intensity and length: a bisque-firing followed by two main firings at 1270 degrees Celsius for 40 hours each.” This makes sense because according to his philosophy, the clay has its own, almost personal natural properties, its own biography, dignity, and life narrative and the role of the artist is to reveal these qualities—to expose the “memories trapped within clay” along with its unique spirit and soul, all while giving the clay new a life.

I have been following the evolution of Ken Mihara’s work since his first solo exhibition, where he presented his series Sei (Awakening), and saw his exhibition Sei III – The Song’s End in New York when I also hosted him along with Aoyama for a gallery talk. The new solo exhibition opening this weekend will be celebrated in the gallery’s new location in the Omotesando section of Tokyo. It will be on view through December 6th.