Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan

This catalog highlights the contributions of Japanese women artists to ceramics over the past fifty years, featuring thirty-six ceramists who have produced innovative and technically advanced pieces. The artists, including established and emerging artists with diverse styles, have resisted gendered expectations and approached traditionally feminine subjects in unconventional ways. The pieces are from the private collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, who have advocated for their recognition.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2023
Publisher: Art Institute of Chicago

Since the end of World War II, Japanese women artists have made significant contributions to ceramics that have been overlooked. This catalog highlights thirty-six ceramists who have created original and technically innovative works over the past fifty years, challenging the male-dominated, traditional Japanese studio practice and its counter-movements. Both established and emerging artists with diverse styles are showcased together, showcasing their collective achievements and impact.

Mishima Kimiyo, Tsuboi Asuka, and Ogawa Machiko, who began their careers decades ago, continue to produce groundbreaking sculptures that push the boundaries of clay as a medium. Among the younger artists featured are Konno Tomoko and Aoki Katsuyo, whose works explore themes ranging from bodily distortion to fantastical decoration. Many of these creators have defied gender expectations, whether by approaching traditionally "feminine" subjects in unconventional ways or by working in so-called masculine modes, including on large scales.

All of the selected pieces are from the exceptional private collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, who have tirelessly advocated for bringing these artists to global attention. The Art Institute of Chicago will host the exhibition from December 16, 2023, to June 3, 2024. It will then travel to the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, from July 27, 2024, to May 11, 2025. Finally, it will be exhibited at the Ackland Art Museum at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from June 13 to August 31, 2025.

Weight: 1032g
Dimension: 256 x 289 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300273236