Shigekazu Nagae, "Berlingot" Vase, Japan, circa 1990

White porcelain vase cast and formed into slabs, with surface engraving and a wavy glaze pattern applied with variations in white.
Born in 1953 to a family of ceramicists in Seto, Shigekazu Nagae is now recognized as one of the most influential ceramicists of his generation, particularly for his innovative approach to sculptural porcelain in Japan.
He began practicing ceramics at a young age, and after completing his studies at the Seto Industrial Ceramics School in 1974, he began to attract attention in the late 1970s for his porcelain casting techniques.
Nagae uses casting, a technique traditionally associated with mass production. He diverts this process to create delicate, curved forms, challenging the limits of the technique. As with this vase, his creations begin by casting rectangular slip pieces, which are then left to dry and undergo an initial firing. The joints are then vitrified by the application of glaze, fusing the pieces into a single entity.
He quickly progressed to abstract forms, using the same technique and then suspending the slip sheets in his kiln using stiff wire. These pieces then take shape thanks to the unique intensity of the kiln, allowing the formation of thin and fragile porcelain sheets.
Nagae's "Moving Forms" series illustrates his constant exploration of the limits of porcelain, playing with continuous lines and surfaces to create abstract, undulating forms that often evoke Japanese nature, such as hills, rivers, and the wind. His work has received numerous awards and has been acquired by numerous prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musée National de Céramique de Sèvres, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, among others.
He continues to be a source of inspiration and fascination, cementing his position as a pioneer in contemporary porcelain art.
Signed below in underglaze blue
Signed Tomobako.
Height 31cm 40x 31cm