Sunday, December 8, 2024

Kazuhito Kawai’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Evoke Dollops of Ice Cream and Summertime Nostalgia

Must read



Art

#ceramics #clay #Kazuhito Kawai #sculpture

Kazuhito Kawai’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Evoke Dollops of Ice Cream and Summertime Nostalgia

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“Chungking Express” (2023). All images © Kazuhito Kawai, shared with permission

Coated in countless colored glazes, Kazuhito Kawai’s ceramic sculptures glop and ooze like vibrant, melting mounds of ice cream or sherbet. The vessel, one of the most essential forms in ceramics, provides a starting point for the Ibaraki, Japan-based artist. While he playfully hints at functionality, each piece seems to have a life of its own, sprouting delicate curls redolent of icing and details like drinking straws or umbrellas.

“There are about three to four types of blended clay and four to five different types of glazes, each with countless color variations,” Kawai tells Colossal. He emphasizes raucous colors and a smorgasbord of textures, and a piece can take between three and four months to complete.

After the weeks-long process of molding and layering, firing a sculpture in the kiln becomes a symbolic transformation that Kawai likens to a change in himself. Drawn to clay for its inherent malleability and the physical interaction required between maker and material, he shares that through these works “there is a sense of my inner self being brought out.” As he builds up the surfaces with layers of glaze, the pieces become akin to portraits of his emotions, mixing nostalgia, youthful joy, and hope.

Find more on Kawai’s website and Instagram.

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“Can you keep a secret?” (2022)

Detail of an abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

Detail of “Can you keep a secret?”

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“IDC” (2023)

Detail of an abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles. Small images of fruits are printed on one part.

Detail of “IDC”

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“Aliens” (2021)

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“Kasama-Yaki” (2021)

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“Moment Scale” (2022)

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“SEPHORA” (2022)

An abstract ceramic sculpture suggestive of ice cream with sprinkles.

“Mikyuki Takayasu” (2021)

#ceramics #clay #Kazuhito Kawai #sculpture

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!

More articles

Latest article