In the studio with Masaomi Yasunaga

In advance of his first show at Lisson Gallery London (entitled Clouds in the Distance), Masaomi Yasunaga invites us into his studio in Iga-shi, Japan to see his innovative process and labour-intensive methods. His works blend traditional ceramic techniques with the freeform theories behind Sodeisha, the 'Crawling through Mud Association', which rejected craft-based Mingei precedents. His primary material is glaze, which is buried in sand or kaolin before firing to prevent it melting. The alchemical transformations and elemental unknowns that Yasunaga's works experience within the intense heat of the kiln give each piece its unique patina, or as he says in this film: "The ultimate goal of my art is not self-expression but what’s left of self, after being filtered through fire."

Click through to play the entire film with English subtitles. 

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