Strange Dream - Kayoko Mizumoto Solo Exhibition
2022.04.06 - 2022.05.01
Exhibition Statement
Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions, while contemporary pottery is no longer limited by functionality in traditional concepts, it has become a work of art that can be appreciated. The new generation of ceramic artists express their creativity and aesthetics through shapes, colours and symbols, as well as symbolisation, association and allegory of the visualised forms, to reflect their own rethinking of modern culture.
In an era of rapid technological advancement, artificial intelligence and virtual networks derived from the infinite imagination of human beings make our lives more convenient, so the famous Japanese ceramic artist Mizumoto Kayoko believed that free thinking and imagination are more indispensable nowadays. Based on the shape of daily life utensils, she boldly adds figurative and decorative elements: eyes, rabbit ears, horns, hearts, and stamens, which depart from the definition of vessels as we understand them, such as eyeballs that extend around like tentacles, and rabbit ears that grow between flowers. The extraordinary shapes of artworks illustrate the surreality mixing with dream and reality, the more mysterious, the more fascinating.
When simplicity is popular nowadays, Mizumoto’s artworks are the opposite, showing her unique aesthetic style. Her artworks are intertwined with various details and protrusions, and they are colourful, such as red, pink, blue, purple, black and gold. The brushstrokes draw reference from shojo (literally meaning ‘young woman’) manga, and the lavish patterns, polka dots, black and white grids, stripes, amaze the audience with strong visual impacts.
Mizumoto’s artwork has a very unique language, which is paying tribute to the traditional aesthetics but at the same time developing her own distinctive style. In 2021, Mizumoto caught everyone’s eyes at the ‘The Assemblage of Colours, The Assemblage of Paintings Japanese Contemporary Ceramic Painting’ exhibition of Touch Ceramics. In April this year, Touch Ceramics will exhibit Mizumoto’s latest series of surreal artworks - ‘Strange Dream’. We hope to enchant you with the artist’s extraordinary fantasy world surrounded by incredible and unique artistic creations.
Artist Statement
Unique stories are fabricated in dreams,
They are beyond language, in between ordinary and extraordinary.
Humongous ears of rabbits, especially towards beautifulness, represent the sensitivity of life.
Horns that grow on the vessels are powerful and impulsive, reminding us of adolescent times, illustrating the strong feeling sprouting deep inside us. Now that we are grown ups, we can control this power and utilize it gently.
Flowers are optimistic.
They bloom contending in between the melting and flow of the glaze, be awed by nature yet looking forward to some transformations.
Waking up and returning to reality, we perceive a different world.
As a creator, I am delighted if you feel that way, even just a little.
About Kayoko Mizumoto
1971 born in Ishikawa, Japan.
1989 Apprenticeship at master workshop for kimono textiles (Yuzen).
1999 Self-tought porcelain artist.
2001 Apprenticeship at master ceramicist workshop (Kutani style).
Solo exhibitions
2022 "Strange Dream" ( Touch Ceramics, Hong Kong)
2019 "-JAM-" (Mitsukoshi Main Store, Nihombashi, Japan)
2016 "Kayoko Mizumoto" Exhibition (Gallery Suki, Aichi, Japan)
2015 "carrot and stick“ (Rumpah Rumpah Gallery, Kanazawa, Japan)
2013 "Wonderland for the sky and colors“ (Rumpah Rumpah Gallery, Kanazawa, Japan)
Group exhibitions
2016 "Art Fair Tokyo 2016" KOGEI @ kassi ~ selected by MITSUKOSHI
"Contemporary Ceramics - Guide" Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Ibaraki
2015 "futurism from Hokuriku" (Ginza Wako, Tokyo, Japan)
"STROKE ART FAIR" (Munich, Germany)
"COLLECT 2015 Crafts Council" (Saatchi Gallery, London)
"Progressive Form" (Ibaragi, Japan)
"KUTANI Nouveau“ (Isokichi Asakura Museum, Kanazawa, Japan)
"carrot and stick“ (Rumpah Rumpah Gallery, Kanazawa, Japan)
"Kobe Art Marche 2015" (Kobe Merikenpark Oriental Hotel, Hyogo)
"THE ART FAIR + PLUS ULTRA 2015" (Spiral, Tokyo)
"One axis, one bowl exhibition" (Mitsukoshi Main Store, Nihombashi, Japan)
"Rempah-Rempah Art Collection" (Tokyo International Forum, Japan)
2014 "Fusuma Space/Time experience" (MICHEKO GALERIE, Munich, Germany)
"Kanazawa Toryoe Kenichi Yokono x Kayoko Mizumoto Two-person Exhibition" (Ber Kazoe, Ishikawa)
"Zauberbox [Tamatebako]" (MICHEKO GALERIE, Munich, Germany)
"Kobe Art Marche 2014" (Kobe Merikenpark Oriental Hotel, Hyogo, Japan)
"THE ART FAIR + PLUS ULTRA 2014" (Spiral, Tokyo, Japan)
2013 "mime 2“ (KOGEI Matsukichi, Kanazawa, Japan)
2012 "Chaos“ (Rumpah Rumpah Gallery, Kanazawa, Japan)
2nd Kanazawa World Triennale Satellite "Tsubo Nakaten ... No Tsubo Exhibition" (Gallery Rempah-Rempah, Ishikawa)
Art fairs
2015 "COLLECT – Crafts Council" (Saatchi Gallery, London)
2015 "Kobe Art Marche" ( Kobe, Japan)
2014 "THE ART FAIR + PLUS ULTRA" (Tokyo, Japan)