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Akiyama Yō 秋山陽

2020 · Unglazed stoneware with rusted iron coating · Asian Art

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.

Artist

Akiyama Yō 秋山陽

Date

2020

Medium

Unglazed stoneware with rusted iron coating

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Halsey and Alice North, 2020