Untitled MV-202 (Metavoid-202)

2020

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 202

Powerful and rough yet refined, this round tabletop piece evokes a tree trunk long buried in the ground, while the partially exposed hemispherical form suggests a tea bowl emerging from organic material. Akiyama’s exploration of the geological and physical forces intrinsic to clay, his constant experimentation with the medium, and his unique approach, which prioritizes a tension between structure and nature, make him a revolutionary sculptor. Most ceramics are finalized when removed from the kiln, but Akiyama defies this by incorporating iron filings into the clay. He studied at Kyoto City University of Arts, where he specialized in black ceramics (kokutō), a technique pioneered by his teacher, Yagi Kazuo, and showed an interest in modern sculptors such as Constantin Brancusi and Jean Arp.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Untitled MV-202 (Metavoid-202)
Artist: Akiyama Yō 秋山陽 (Japanese, born 1953)
Period: Reiwa period (2019–present)
Date: 2020
Culture: Japan
Medium: Unglazed stoneware with rusted iron coating
Dimensions: 8 7/8 × 19 5/8 × 16 1/4 in. (22.5 × 49.8 × 41.3 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Gift of Halsey and Alice North, 2020
Object Number: 2020.291
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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