Handmade Cup No.11 (SY0011P)

Pottery by Saya Yamaguchi

Artwork Size: 
3 x 4 x 3 inches (Cup)

The Art of Saya Yamaguchi’s Potteries
Saya Yamaguchi created potteries, which are pure and simple in form. A close inspection at her pottery will undisclosed her intention to liberate the idea of beauty and aesthetics in pottery making. By not strictly adhering to the conventional methods and patterns of making Japanese art, the potter allows her instincts and spontaneity to shape the art pieces.

Saya approaches pottery and ceramic through a non-conformist way. These artistic creations suggest the artist’s great independence in thoughts and actions.

Saya revolutionises pottery and explores ideas in her works through the abstract expressionism movement. At the first instance when one sees the pottery, they appear to eschew the formalities of traditional Japanese pottery. She does, in fact, have a keen understanding of the doctrine of the utilitarian concept, except that she tweaks it to reveal the unique character of each piece of ceramic.

Her form of expression in pottery inter-twines the traditional philosophy of pottery and naturalism which results in a balance between having a the pre-conceived notion of aesthetics and a true sense of self-artistry. All her pottery works mimic the natural way of making simple functional forms with clay with minimal use of the potter’s wheel. It is called the Pinch Pot method. The Pinch Pot method prevailed during the prehistoric period in ancient civilisations, even amongst hunters and gatherers. It was the predominant way of cultivating pottery then. The artist’s pottery retains full functionality while being reformed into sculptural and asymmetrical objects of art. These factors make Saya’s potteries “one-off” pieces. In other words, they are one-of-a-kind.

Born in Kyoto, Saya Yamaguchi graduated with Master Degree in Fine Arts, Ceramic at Kyoto Seika University, Japan. Over the last 11 years, she has been a very active ceramic artist and has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions including her 12 solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Singapore.