Vase in white porcelain cast and formed into plates, surface engraving and application of a wavy pattern in enamel with variations of white.

Shigekazu Nagae, born in 1953 into a family of ceramists in Seto, is today recognized as one of the most influential ceramists of his generation, notably for his innovative approach to sculptural porcelain in Japan.

From a young age, he was introduced to the practice of ceramics, and after completing his studies at the Seto Industrial Ceramic 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 uses this process to create delicate, curved forms, challenging the limits of the technique.

As with this vase, his creations begin with the casting of rectangular pieces in slip, 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 moved on to abstract forms, using the same technique and then suspending the slip sheets in his kiln using rigid iron wires. 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 her 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 is widely acclaimed with numerous awards and has been acquired by many prestigious institutions around the world, 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, consolidating his position as a pioneer in the art of contemporary porcelain.

Signed below in blue underglaze

Tomobako signed.

Height 31cm 40x 31cm