Born in Izumo, on Japan’s far west coast, Ken Mihara still lives and works in Shimane prefecture. His earlier work that first earned attention were slab built, angular forms made from a local iron-rich stoneware. Layers of textured and clay - in varying tonal gradations - were then composed into linear patterns on the exterior. An amazing interplay results between these vessels’ shapes and their surfaces. 

This jar is part of Mihara’s Wind and Waves series that took inspiration from the Sea of Japan's wild waters off the Shimane coast. Mihara wraps the water around his clay vessel in geometries that play with the form’s swelling concave and convex planes. The resulting optical illusions create energy and movement, not unlike the ocean’s always changing surface. 

There’s something completely new and exciting about Mihara’s use of clay. And these early vessels launched a career that quickly saw his work enter private and public collections around the world. And while his later work morphed away from angles and patterns, it still plays with form and surface. Mihara might approach ceramics with the fresh eye and hand of a sculptor, but his work has always been about exploring the qualities of the clay itself.

Comes with the signed, stamped, and titled wood box, wrapping cloth (unmarked), artist’s CV, and original gallery price tag.