As Asia Week New York approaches, we are thrilled, at long last, to present BEYOND THE SURFACE: The Unity of Form and Pattern in the Work of Wada Morihiro (1944-2008). This exhibition, fifteen years in the making, will be the first comprehensive retrospective for this seminal clay master. It will showcase seventy works, most acquired directly from the estate of the artist, representing nearly all of his diverse patterns on his ever-changing forms. A thorough bilingual book on his career, with essays by four leading Japanese scholars, will accompany the exhibition. Beyond the Surface will open to the public on March 13, 2025, as part of Asia Week New York celebrations and will remain on view through April 25.
“Wada Morihiro demonstrates exceptional skill in ceramic techniques. His relentless pursuit of perfection is expressed in both his large-scale works and his smaller vessels. In addition to his strength in ceramic techniques, he has the methodology of a mathematician, the mind of a philosopher, the structural skills of an architect, and the sensitivity of a poet. Naturally gifted as a ceramist, Wada Morihiro was ahead of his time.”
Itō Ikutarō, Former Director
Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
WADA MORIHIRO was a master ceramic artist known for his reflective and intellectual approach to art. In his forties, he developed a personal ceramic theory–– viewing the exploration of vessel and sculptural forms, along with their surface patterns, as a way to understand and express his spirit. Drawing inspiration from nature, Wada created over three dozen unique patterns featuring cedar trees, clouds, flowers, grasses, vines, and geometric shapes using slip glaze, inlay, and carving techniques.
During his lifetime, his work captivated collectors and curators throughout Japan. Wada’s unique ceramic style was in high demand from the 1980s into the 1990s. His exhibitions were immensely successful and received extensive press coverage. He exhibited with prestigious fine art galleries like Fujii Gallery—a rare achievement at the time for a ceramic artist— and his oeuvre was the focus of two exhibitions at Japanese art museums, including a 1997 retrospective at the Tsukuba Museum of Art. In 1990, a solo exhibition at Alexander Milliken Gallery in New York showcased his remarkable creative range, bringing him international recognition. Wada’s later career included participation in Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2005 and Japan Society, NY in 2006. Unfortunately, in 2008, while serving as a professor of ceramics at Tōhoku University of Art and Design, this brilliant artist, cherished by collectors, curators, and students alike, passed away suddenly at the age of sixty-four, leaving a vibrant legacy that continues to inspire clay artists.
BEYOND THE SURFACE at Joan B Mirviss LTD will highlight thirty of Wada's iconic patterns, featuring seventy works showcasing his mastery of surface and form. Eleven of these works, including two unique entwining-vine patterned vessels previously unseen outside Japan, were intended for his 2008 solo exhibition at our gallery–– a show that would have been Wada’s first comprehensive retrospective–– had it not been for his untimely passing. Fortunately, the Wada family reserved these works and many others and encouraged our gallery to host this important exhibition in New York. The bilingual, fully illustrated, scholarly book will be available for purchase in March. The exhibition opens during Asia Week New York 2025 on March 13th and will run through April, with public viewing from 11 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday.
About Joan B Mirviss LTD
With more than forty-five years of experience, Joan B. Mirviss remains a pillar in the field of Japanese art. As a dealer, scholar, curator, and advisor, she has been the driving force championing the top Japanese clay artists, who she represents exclusively and whose works she has placed in major museums around the globe. Widely published as a highly respected expert, Mirviss has built many institutional and private collections of Japanese art.
JOAN B MIRVISS LTD exhibits modern and contemporary Japanese ceramics, ukiyo-e, and Japanese paintings from its exclusive Madison Avenue location in New York City.
For more information, please contact us at 212-799-4021 or director@mirviss.com.