Ausstellung

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From November 17, 2024 to January 26, 2025, Japan will be a guest at the Marianne Heller
Gallery in Heidelberg with a series of extraordinary works. On display are 27 works by seven
artists who not only present a broad spectrum of different contemporary themes, but also
make use of a wide variety of materials and techniques:

Ken Mihara (born 1958), who can be described as a modern classic, is one of the most
sought-after artists in Japanese ceramics. His works enchant with their zen-like serenity and
color landscapes, which result purely from the clay and the respective intensity of the firing.
Chiasato Yasui (b. 1984) gives form to her emotions in pigmented and glazed clay, which
abstractly and expressively describe the state of an inner movement. Shigeki Hayashi (b.
1972) and Nagisa Shirai (b. 1991) dedicate their works in glazed porcelain to the once again
fashionable representationalism-in radically different ways. While Hayashi creates hybrid
human-machine creatures, her younger colleague forms everyday objects, which she covers.
with pastel-colored katakana letters. Hidenori Tsumori (born 1986) and Ruico Imai (born
1991) shape their creations from unconventional combinations with glass. Using a mixture of
glass and clay that he developed, Tsumori devotes himself to the juxtaposition of seemingly
opposing areas that are ultimately always two sides of the same coin. Ruico Imai, on the other
hand, transfers everyday objects and intimate memories into a durable yet fragile framework
of brass wire and glass, with the special textures of her works paying homage to the unusual
wabi-sabi beauty. Naoki Takeyama (born 1974) impresses with his reinterpretation of an
ancient metalworking technique. Artfully folded copper bodies are enameled several times in
an elaborate process, fired and finally covered with gold leaf. The result is unmistakable
creations that recall the avant-garde designs of world-famous Japanese fashion from the
1980s.

Dr. Britta Buhlmann