Sliced Form 05 (Sogu Katachi 05)
Nagae Shigekazu Japanese
Not on view
This thin-walled white porcelain form started out as a perfectly proportioned parallelogram. Nagae Shigekazu then used supports and weights to bend and distort the shape during a high-temperature firing. Once fired, he used sandpaper to sharpen the edges and form textured patterns. He then sprayed on a thin layer of clear glaze and fired the piece again to produce a form that resembles a bird that undulates, hovers, and seems ready to take flight.
The artist comes from a long line of potters based in the ancient ceramic center of Seto. He creates delicate curved forms with ikomi (a method of porcelain slip casting using plaster or plastic moulds), but recently he has sought an unpredictable rather than a controlled process.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.