When it comes to ceramics, I definitely have my predilections: organic shapes with matte, whitish finishes. So it figures that when I recently discovered the work of Japanese ceramicist Yoko Terai, I was in love.
A graduate of the Department of Ceramics at Kyoto City University of Arts, Yoko Terai is known for her graceful, elemental forms. Shunning the potter’s wheels, the artist instead favors a more tactile approach, using her hands to mold and coax the final form. Her work – in particular the bulbous vases which resemble The Venus of Willendorf – have a distinctly feminine silhouette, a decidedly organic feel. Pods and vessels, they seem to celebrate their Earthly origins, their basic, life-giving natures. Far from refined china, Terai’s essential work stands as a palpable reminder of our connection to Nature.
