MINO: THE KINGDOM OF POTTERY: Tanaka Tomomi
Tanaka Tomomi (b. 1983)
The region of Mino, in the Gifu Prefecture of Japan, has a long, rich history dating to the 7th century A.D., gaining prominence through the production of ceramics for the tea ceremony. Today, it remains a significant center of ceramic production. Many ceramicists who work in Mino create contemporary clay art. Do not think of the traditional tea bowl, which has been the touchstone of Japanese ceramics for centuries, and still made by most artists. While contemporary artists are connected to that tradition, they have elevated the clay to new horizons.
If patience is part of Japanese craftspeople’s DNA, then Tanaka Tomomi is the embodiment of Japanese kogei. Working on the second floor of a private house in Seki Shi, she is surrounded by tea farms and nature, creating non-functional, hand-built sculptures in clay. Tomomi has developed a distinctive technique and vocabulary, which she is dedicated to perfecting and which continues to evolve. To her, clay holds profound spiritual significance and offers endless possibilities for emotional expression.
Creativity, precision, and attention to detail, yet with a spontaneous flair, have defined her discourse. But don’t think that Tomomi’s work is strictly technical. It is quite the opposite. The spiritual connection to the clay stands at its core. Her sculptures are emotional and charged with feelings, utilized for spiritual growth, mindfulness, and self-discovery. As a contemporary artist active in Mino, Tomomi successfully expresses her emotions through clay.
Her technique is extremely labor-intensive. Each of her sculptures is crafted from layers and layers of thin, flattened sheets of clay, which are built onto core forms. The larger, the more complex, and more organic the form, the larger and denser the lamella, the more beautiful and dramatic the sculptures become. Her recent solo exhibition at Moderne Gallery in Philadelphia exemplifies the most ambitious work to date.
Her sculptures represent nature and the artist’s mindful connection: flowing waves, aged wood, and organic ferns over beds of moss – you can sense them as they are captured in her clay sculptures. However, her work is imbued with spiritual significance, encouraging the viewer to connect with nature and experience it through her own lens. It is the Japanese landscape that breathes life into her vocabulary, capturing the waves of her unspoken feelings. As an introvert, Tomoni’s art is the sole channel to expressing the waves of her feelings, in her words. In fact, she is speaking about the process of her work as therapeutic, enabling her to define her human experience. To Tomomi, art is the only means of expressing her emotions. If she is reserved in words, she is explosive in her art.
Photography by © Takuro Kawamoto.
This visit was enabled thanks to Keiko Art International.
