Yoichi Shiraishi “The Beautiful Errors”, ceramic, 2021

Japanese ceramic artist, Yoichi Shiraishi’s works are made by first pulverizing non-purified blocks of soil called natural clay, then reconstituting them as artificially molded grains of clay. This form of ceramic art which involves almost no direct contact with the clay in the fabrication process appears to be an experiment to visualize “The Beautiful Errors”. The grains of clay stacked up self-destruct as they are fired in a kiln at over 1,000℃. The soil starts to express different colors as the kiln fire changes the properties of the impurities in the soil. The liquid porcelain-soil forms wrinkles and cracks. Although this is common knowledge in the field of pottery, He inspects them on a microscopic scale and with an almost manic aesthetic sense, trimming them into geometrical solid. These his works that seek to create aesthetics from accidentalism is often dismissed as trimming down natural phenomenon, but it is analogous to the artificial look of textures on some dilapidated or collapsed buildings, and the nature of works is in its inorganic nature. The act of programming the behavior of the grains of soil constricted by a plaster mold in search of microscopic beauty. This piece of art is born out of the limbo of the clay going back and forth between controlled and un-controlled, and finally becoming a ceramic art that looks as if it was molded with intent. Look closely and observe the grains of sand with your eyes. Each grain of sand is unique in its own way, but together they look like a smart and inorganic construct when seen from afar. “The Beautiful Errors”—We hope that you can resonate with the joy of sharing the artist’s microscopic perspective of aesthetics.

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Misa Kuromoto, GALLERY crossing