Kishi Eiko

In Composite Memories: The Clay Art of Kishi Eiko, opening at Joan B Mirviss LTD on September 10th, Kishi’s inimitable mosaic-like chamotte-inlay technique (saiseki zogan) will be front and center.  This is a painstakingly slow process in which minute geometric shapes are delicately carved into the surface of her clay forms and are then inlayed with colored clay.  A single sculpture requires several months to complete. The highly textured, multicolored surfaces are mesmerizing, drawing in the viewer for closer examination. Once coupled with dynamic multiple planes and tilted axes, these latest sculptures resemble – not merely the walls and materials of specific structures, but on a grander scale, actual cityscapes. These works conjure up the  bracketed roofs, sloping eaves, rhythmic patterns and stone or tile floors of the temples, shrines and buildings in her historic home of Kyoto.  As she walks among these buildings, she is inspired to infuse her art with their spirit.  While critics, curators and collectors describe her work as abstract, Kishi doesn’t agree, stating:

Kishi Eiko first studied at Kyoto Seika University where she explored archeology, anthropology, art history and textile dying before focusing on ceramics. Unburdened by formal ties to a ceramic tradition, she forged her own path in the Japanese clay world. Since that time, she has exhibited extensively, including receiving the rare honor of a one-person exhibition at Minneapolis Institute of Art. Most recently, Kishi participated in a major exhibition at Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing, China where she was also asked to lecture. Her sculptural clay art can be found in the permanent collections of International Ceramic Museum, Italy; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN;  Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France; Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing, China; and Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, among many other international institutions. Composite Memories: The Clay Art of Kishi Eiko will be her sixth solo exhibition with Joan B Mirviss LTD and will run from September 10 – October 25, 2019 with gallery hours: Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm. 

Joan B. Mirviss has been a distinguished expert in Japanese art, specializing in fine art  and ceramics for more than forty years.  She is the leading Western dealer in the field of modern and contemporary Japanese ceramics, and from her New York gallery on Madison Avenue, JOAN B MIRVISS LTD exclusively represents the top Japanese clay artists.  As a widely published and highly respected specialist in her field, Mirviss has advised and built collections for many museums, major private collectors, and corporations. For further information and high-resolution images, please contact the gallery director at 212-799-4021 or director@mirviss.com.