The Art of Woodfired Ceramics featuring Peter Callas
On View: February 1 – March 6
This invitational international exhibition, curated by Brett Thomas and Mark Tyson, features work by 40 artists from Japan, France, New Zealand, Indonesia, Denmark and the United States. The work showcases the uniqueness, power and breadth of the wood-firing technique with styles ranging from wabi-sabi to expressionism.
The show is anchored by a collection of large expressionist ceramic sculptures by Peter Callas who is celebrating his 50th year as a ceramic artist. After travelling to Japan in 1973 to study ceramics, Peter built the first Anagama (wood-fired) kiln in the United States in 1976. Over the past 50 years, he has exhibited on five continents and received numerous awards and grants including the Pollack/Krasner Foundation Grant in 2018. His work is included in the collections of over 30 museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sculptural works by many other artists are also included in the current exhibition.
Additionally, the exhibition includes a very special collection of over 150 Tea Bowls from around the world. There is a long history of consumption of tea around the world and many customs that have provided guidance to makers of tea wares throughout the ages. This exhibition (curated by Mark Tyson, collector and tea bowl maker) explores the significant aesthetic potential of contemporary tea bowls made for, or inspired by Japanese tea ceremony. This collection is an expansive survey of the influences and cross cultural pollination that has produced interesting and beautiful bowls that transcend their intended utility and can be viewed as works of art. As small sculptures, they draw the user into a collaborative experience. Tea bowls embody the ideals of wabi-sabi aesthetics, which have influenced artists throughout history, including many of the sculptural works in this exhibition.
Participating Artists include :
Joe Bruhin, Emmanuel Alexia, Chris Alexiades, John Berleth, Xiaosheng Bi, Peter Callas, Claude Champy, Nani Champy, Tom Coleman, Carolanne Currier, John Dix, Katie Fee, Pascal Geoffroy, Chris Gustin, David Holden, Hillary Kane, Heidi Kreitchet, Jason Laney, Dick Lehman, Ken Matsuzaki, Hiromi Matsukawa, Raphael Meyer, Richard Milgrim, Hideaki Miyamura, Sebastian Moh, Kristin Muller, Shiro Otani, Laetitia Pineda, Elena Renker
Andrew Sartorius, Akira Satake, Ming Yuen-Schat, Ryan Schulz, Shane Sellers, Jeff Shapiro, Willi Singleton, Maria Spies, Okazaki Takao, Brett Thomas, Jack Troy, Mark Tyson, Hans Vangso