Following a friendship that has spanned more than thirty years, it is with great excitement that I am able to collaborate, at long last, with my very talented friend, Jeff Shapiro, on this special virtual exhibition of his new sculptural work. We first met many decades ago at an early exhibition in New Rochelle, New York. While I was already very intrigued with Japanese ceramics and collected in Japan for my own home, it was not yet an area in which specialized as a private dealer in Japanese art. Of course, that focus pivoted completely more than twenty-five years ago, and Japanese clay art has become my major pursuit and passion.

Through the years and many exhibitions, both in the US and Japan, I have followed Jeff’s career with admiration, happily acquiring works here and there. From those early days as an avid follower of the Bizen tradition and technique to the current independent and highly personal, and powerful body of sculptural work, his course of development has been inspiring to witness. So, despite my gallery rule to handle only the clay art of Japanese artists, I believe this new work to be so compelling that I felt I had to make it available to my ceramic-focused clientele. It is with great pleasure that I introduce this series Cascades and Glacial Landscapes in this virtual on-line only catalogue and exhibition.

Joan B. Mirviss