COLOSSAL
Tens of Thousands of Clay Shavings Cloak Hattori Makiko’s Coiled Porcelain Sculptures
DECEMBER 19, 2023
GRACE EBERT
Creating one of Hattori Makiko’s twisted porcelain sculptures is an exercise in patience. The Japanese artist makes just a few works a year, each requiring tens of thousands of rolled clay shavings precisely placed on and within the curved forms. Dense with crinkled florets, the unglazed pieces are made from Seto porcelain, a material from Aichi Prefecture in Japan, and can take up to six months to dry.
Many of Hattori’s works taper to slender bases with wider concave openings in the center. While more recent sculptures feature subtle folds and overlaps at the top, her earlier pieces dramatically twist and twine into elegant knots evocative of bunched fabric.
Find more of Hattori’s works at Joan B Mirviss LTD, where she’s represented.
