Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1947, Sueharu Fukami produces sculptural ceramics with superlative pale blue glazes inspired by Chinese Song-dynasty porcelain. His forms are distinguished by timeless elegance: carination and curves recall Samurai swords. Some pieces are conical, others are shallow and round with a thin white line interrupting the bluish white tranquillity of a piece. Other pieces are turret-like configurations nearly 2 metres tall. Many of his pieces are spherical sculptures on dedicated wooden bases that form a counterweight to the ceramic shapes. Fukami tends to give his works poetic names such as "Distant View", "Seascape II" or "Image of the Mind 'Sky'", which perfectly correspond to the gracefully dramatic forms and inspire the viewer's imagination to go beyond merely observing a piece. Fukami's works represent a break with 20th-century Japanese ceramics since they link Chinese aesthetic and techniques with abstract, contemporary forms. This combination is, however, the feature that makes his works so universal and timeless.
Produced in collaboration with the Erik Thomsen Gallery in New York, this book shows a cross-section of Fukami's work in porcelain from 1976 to the present.
- ISBN13 9783897903029
- Publish Date 1 November 2009
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Out of Print 30 October 2013
- Publish Country DE
- Imprint Arnoldsche
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 92
- Language English