Experience the work of the Japanese-American ceramicist, Jun Kaneko.
Earlier drawings (c. 1950s-1960s) show his skill at a young age.
Dangos are Kaneko’s free standing pieces named after the chewy Japanese rice flour dumplings. They are perhaps akin to giant three dimensional canvases on which he can experiment with colour, techniques, and of course sculpting.
His first dangos were done in the 80s. Those were around six feet tall, weighing close to six tons. Since then, he’s continued to work on them and has managed to create dangos overwhelmingly tall. Some pushing beyond thirteen ft in height.
Much of his painting techniques involve dripping paint, beautifully rendered, creating interesting negative space (ma 間)
Kaneko’s other works include Mirage (2016) which comprises of nine canvases joined together — each canvas is entirely unique. The panels curve along the large room, flowing and filling the space with warm light.
Kaneko dripped paint from the top of the canvasses allowing it to flow downwards in a straight line.
The first panel is mainly done in yellows and blues and gradually the colours shift to warmer hues — reds, orange, violet and purple.
This piece is staggering in its size and the sheer effort it probably took to create.
Parallel Sound (1981) came about after Kaneko was invited to take part in an artist residency at a ceramic tile company provoking Kaneko to create this piece. Evenly stacked bars create a sculpture which not only gives the viewer insight into beautifully overlapping shadows, but an optical illusion seen in one of the images above.
Kaneko constantly explores the concept of ma in his work. Ma refers to the interval or pause between things (space in between). This concept is considered an integral part of the entire creation.
Jun Kaneko’s sculptures are the largest free-standing ceramic pieces in the world.
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That panel…WOW!!
The space and the silence…I feel them all the way here.
When I look at art like this, I wish, I wish art could reach more people. I think how we’d sit in quiet contemplation, and how the world could be better off, if only…
What a luscious display of imagination and color. i see his work is on display in Tampa and I am moved to feel it in person. Your words and description charm and elaborate the visions of Mr Kaneko.. i also like that he sees himself in lower case – humility siphoning inspiration. Thank you!
I really hope you get to see it, Tim. I think you’ll really enjoy the experience. 🙂