Kohyama & Tanaka: Ceramics and textiles

Opening: Saturday, November 16th 2019, 11am
The artists will be present

On the occasion of the exhibition an article was published by artaurea.de
Chiyoko Tanaka and Yasuhisa Kohyama


Yasuhisa Kohyama (*1936)

Yasuhisa Kohyama is a ceramic artist with a profound interest in the past. He has studied historical Japanese ceramics and admires the power of these pieces. He wants to capture this legacy, intuitively, and to draw upon their spirit in a way which is not alien to his own character and work. (1) 

Kohyama has taken two ancient traditions, wood-firing and hand-building and has devoted the last fifty-five years of his career to perfecting their use. Equally important is his embrace of contemporary life, and his bold and poetic use of line, mass, and form; he is fully aware of the sculptural possibilities available to him. A love of nature and a life-long interest in sculpture and architecture have also inspired his work. 

(1) Yasuhisa Kohyama. Interview by Susan Jefferies, Toronto. Nov. 22-23, 2010. 
From: Yasuhisa Kohyama, The Art of Ceramics, Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2012, p. 9


Chiyoko Tanaka (*1941)

Chiyoko Tanaka is a weaver who sees her work as part of a continuum reflecting the tradition of the woven silk textiles of Kyoto. The process of weaving is central to her work, the act of weaving being an accumulation of weft threads, representing time passing. Once woven, the cloth is laid on the ground and Tanaka commences to rub the fabric over and over with particular tools like brick or white stone. This is a process she describes as ‘Grinding’. An additional colouring effect is achieved by the application of certain soils or charcoal.

Text excerpt: transitionandinfluenceprojects.com, University for the Creative Arts