Art

#ceramics
#clay
#Kazuhito Kawai
#sculpture

Kazuhito Kawai’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Evoke Dollops of Ice Cream and Summertime Nostalgia

June 12, 2023

Kate Mothes

“Chungking Express” (2023). All images © Kazuhito Kawai, shared with permission

Coated in countless colored glazes, Kazuhito Kawai’s ceramic sculptures glop and ooze like vibrant, melting mounds of ice cream or sherbet. The vessel, one of the most essential forms in ceramics, provides a starting point for the Ibaraki, Japan-based artist. While he playfully hints at functionality, each piece seems to have a life of its own, sprouting delicate curls redolent of icing and details like drinking straws or umbrellas.

“There are about three to four types of blended clay and four to five different types of glazes, each with countless color variations,” Kawai tells Colossal. He emphasizes raucous colors and a smorgasbord of textures, and a piece can take between three and four months to complete.

After the weeks-long process of molding and layering, firing a sculpture in the kiln becomes a symbolic transformation that Kawai likens to a change in himself. Drawn to clay for its inherent malleability and the physical interaction required between maker and material, he shares that through these works “there is a sense of my inner self being brought out.” As he builds up the surfaces with layers of glaze, the pieces become akin to portraits of his emotions, mixing nostalgia, youthful joy, and hope.

Find more on Kawai’s website and Instagram.

 

“Can you keep a secret?” (2022)

Detail of “Can you keep a secret?”

“IDC” (2023)

Detail of “IDC”

“Aliens” (2021)

“Kasama-Yaki” (2021)

“Moment Scale” (2022)

“SEPHORA” (2022)

“Mikyuki Takayasu” (2021)

#ceramics
#clay
#Kazuhito Kawai
#sculpture

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!

 

 

Also on Colossal

Related posts on Colossal about ceramics clay Kazuhito Kawai sculpture

Traditional Design Meets Modern Function in Natura Ceramica’s Elemental Earthenware Vessels
Foliage Sprouts from Four Imaginative Clay Illustrations by Irma Gruenholz
A New Book Explores the Practices of 38 Black Ceramicists Working Across Generations to Define the Medium
Otherwordly Ceramic Forms by Janny Baek Evoke Growth and Transformation
Aman Khanna’s Clever Clay Characters Exude Universal Expressions of Tenderness and Emotion

This article comes from the Internet:Kazuhito Kawai’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Evoke Dollops of Ice Cream and Summertime Nostalgia