Space Object (Kukan Keijo) 06-A

This ceramic work is both an abstract sculpture and a functional vase. Its shape is composed of thin slabs of clay arranged in a faceted, openwork design; the walls curved slightly under high-temperature firing in an electric kiln, which softened the otherwise geometric structure. Fired with a white metallic glaze, the exterior creates a dynamic contrast with interior surfaces revealed through four openings. Rokubey is the eighth-generation head of the Kyoto-based Kiyomizu family of ceramicists. This work reflects his architectural training at Waseda University, Tokyo, and his uncompromising stand toward ceramics as modern art.