Pottery and Baskets from Japan
selected by Makiko McDonald

July 22–30, 2023

Pottery and Baskets from Japan, curated by Makiko McDonald, opens Saturday, July 22, 3–5pm at Blunk Space. The exhibition presents handmade baskets from different regions of Japan and pottery by Shigeo Tanaka. The baskets are made by master craftspeople using indigenous materials such as wild grape and wisteria vines, cedar, and bamboo. They are tools for daily life and each one has a specific function dictated by the land where they are made. Tanaka (b. 1963, Kyoto) fires the pottery in his hand-built anagama kiln in Nara. He develops all his glazes using natural materials and the shapes of his vessels are inspired by ancient forms.