Groundbreaking female ceramic artists in Japan currently stand in the spotlight on the world stage, and their innovative work is recognized by collectors and museums internationally. Presented at the Park Avenue Armory for The Winter Show this January, Joan B Mirviss LTD will explore the vital role of Japanese women clay artists in the prominent global position of Japanese ceramics, from the postwar generation to the present. Coinciding with the exhibition Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan, which opened December 16, 2023 at the Art Institute of Chicago, Joan B Mirviss LTD will feature the work of twenty-five pioneering female artists spanning three generations who overcame numerous social and cultural barriers to express both eloquence and strength through clay. These artists are at the vanguard of the development of Japanese ceramics in what is certainly one of the richest and most diverse creative periods in its long history.

Japanese women were historically stifled by restrictive views on their societal role and the lack of freedom regarding their career choices, especially in the arena of ceramics. Emerging from centuries of obscurity and isolation, these female masters are challenging the supremacy of their male contemporaries as luminaries and independent creative talents.

First generation of pioneers include:

ONO Hakuko (1915-1996),
ARAKI Takako (1921-2004),
TSUBOI Asuka (1932-2022),
and MISHIMA Kimiyo (b. 1932).

The current third generation has taken sculpture and techniques even further and include:

HIRAI Akiko (b. 1970),
TOMITA Mikiko (b. 1972),
AZUMA Kaori (b. 1972),
FUKUMOTO Fuku (b. 1973),
INABA Chikako (b. 1974),
TAKEMURA Yuri (b. 1980),
FUJIKASA Satoko (b. 1980),
TANAKA Yū (b. 1989),
and IKAKE Sayuri (b. 1990).

These twenty-five female masters have made their mark in a field that has been male- dominated for centuries. Ceramic traditions and knowledge were historically passed down the generations from father to eldest son, who from a young age would learn to handle clay and to create in his family's style. Women were excluded from these lineages, in part due to ancient beliefs surrounding the sacrality of a kiln and relatedly, perceptions of their innate impurity. Consigned to lesser roles such as studio managers, women were almost never the creators who shaped clay.

With the advent of university art programs in the postwar period, however, a new era of equal opportunity emerged. In the twentieth century, women ceramic artists burst onto the scene with fresh energy and innovation. Not beholden to any tradition, these artists are free to explore clay in startling new ways that are dramatically and uniquely their own.

Taking Space, Making Space: Japanese Women Ceramic Artists will display an astonishing array of forms, styles, techniques, and glazes, showcasing the extraordinary talents of three generations of Japanese women ceramic artists. Joan B Mirviss LTD will be located in booth E5 at The Winter Show 2024, which runs from January 19-28, 2024 at The Park Avenue Armory in New York, NY.