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Touching Stone Gallery  Santa Fe  New Mexico USA

www.touchingstone.com  Email: director@touchingstone.com

 


Yoko Terai

Elusive Beauty
Dec. 3, 2004 - Jan. 5, 2005

See more of this artist's work:  2004 show, 2005 show,  2007 show,  2009 show

... And when we feel, peer, listen, would confine
And grasp its very self, it slips away
Like the elusive beauty of a day
In autumn, leaving of its track no sign
                                     - James Herbert Morse
Yoko Terai  寺井陽子

This exhibition is the American debut of Japanese ceramic artist Yoko Terai, whose highly original and sensitive work has gained critical acclaims.

Unlike many other Japanese ceramists, Yoko Terai (b. 1972) did not grow up in a historic pottery center. She picked clay as her medium by choice rather than by tradition. When Terai was an art student, she was inspired by the ground-breaking work of renowned ceramic artist Osamu Suzuki. She studied in the Department of Ceramic of the Kyoto City University of Arts, where Suzuki once taught. Her graduation work received the Mayor of Kyoto Prize, an honor claimed by few artists of her age. After graduating in 1995, Terai sought apprenticeship under ceramist Nobuo Nojima in Uji City. Her mentor quickly recognized her talents and creativity, and encouraged the young artist to pursue an independent career as a full-time artist.

Terai is fascinated by seeing beauty in things ordinary, a gift she inherited from her artist mother and architect father. She also has an uncommon ability to capture such intangible beauty with grace and sensitivity, and allow her audience to share her vision. She approaches ceramic from an artist’s angle, using clay as a means to turn her aesthetic visions into forms. Her approach is thus quite different from many other Japanese ceramists who build careers along traditional pottery styles. Not having to conform to traditions gives Terai complete freedom to explore and create her uniquely personal style.

Terai rarely uses the potter’s wheel (another departure from traditions). Instead, she starts with drawings of conceptual designs, and builds most of her pieces by hands. Functionality seems incidental in her work. When she is satisfied with the general designs, she just set her hands free to mold the curves and surfaces into their final forms as if guided by instinct. The resulting pieces are defined by graceful curves that seem to flow delicately between positive and negative spaces, revealing the essence of the forms as one’s eyes follow the lines. Finally, their flowing forms are barely covered by shades of pale monochromatic tones, achieved by applying a thin glaze made from titanium oxide crystals. Overall, the gentle delicate forms, smooth texture and airy hues evoke a noble, unmistakably feminine sensuous feel.

Since 1997, Yoko Terai has exhibited extensively in Japan, and her work has received many awards and recognition. The current show features her recent works that exemplify the grace and sensitivity of her style.
Click on images to view selected pieces
Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com

YokoTerai6_Le.jpg (47000 bytes)YokoTerai6_La.jpg (47349 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #6
21" x 15.5" x 3.5"H  (2 views)
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YokoTerai7_Ld.jpg (55069 bytes)YokoTerai7_Lb.jpg (50531 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #7
12" x 9.5" x 3"H  (2 views)
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YokoTerai11_La.jpg (90031 bytes)YokoTerai11_Lb.jpg (45788 bytes) YokoTerai12_La.jpg (36831 bytes)YokoTerai12_Lb.jpg (40053 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #11
9.5"H x 7.5" x 3.5"  (2 views)
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 Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #12
17"H x 4.5" x 4.5"  (2 views)
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YokoTerai25_Lb.jpg (43342 bytes)YokoTerai25_La.jpg (42180 bytes) YokoTerai26_La.jpg (37501 bytes)YokoTerai26_Lb.jpg (37802 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #25
14.5"H x 3.5" x 3.5"  (2 views)
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Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #26
 13"H x 4" x 3"  (2 views)
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YokoTerai_2La.jpg (75874 bytes)YokoTerai_2Lc.jpg (27392 bytes) YokoTerai9_Lb.jpg (27413 bytes)YokoTerai9_La.jpg (27946 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #2
8" x 6.5" x 3"H  (2 views)
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Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #9
 10" x 4.5" x 2"H  (2 views)
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YokoTerai_4La.jpg (94529 bytes)YokoTerai_4Lb.jpg (86745 bytes) YokoTerai10_Lb.jpg (38064 bytes)YokoTerai10_La.jpg (51610 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #4
 9.5" x 4.5" x 4"H (2 views)
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Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #10
10.5" x 3.5" x 2.5"H  (2 views)
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YokoTerai3_La.jpg (49862 bytes)YokoTerai3_Lb.jpg (49942 bytes) YokoTerai13_La.jpg (42702 bytes)YokoTerai13_Lb.jpg (43312 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #3
6.5" x 6.5" x 5"H (2 views)
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 Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #13
 5" x 5" x 7" (2 views)


YokoTerai14_La.jpg (41222 bytes) YokoTerai15_La.jpg (44953 bytes)
Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #14
 4" / 4.5" x 4" x 3"   (2-pc set)
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Elusive Beauty  ceramic form #15
7.5" x 2.5" x 2.5"   (2-pc set)
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YokoTerai23+24_La.jpg (44928 bytes) YokoTerai5_La.jpg (82550 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic forms #23 (L) & #24 (R)
5.5"H x 2.5" x 2.5";  4.5"H x 3" x 3"
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Elusive Beauty ceramic form #5
 5.5"H x 3" x 3"
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YokoTerai_1La.jpg (39780 bytes) YokoTerai27_La.jpg (37681 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #1
 6"H x 3" x 2.5"
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Elusive Beauty ceramic form #27
 7" x 4" x 4.5"H
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YokoTerai31_Wa.jpg (49790 bytes) YokoTerai8_La.jpg (52063 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #31
 5" x 4.5" x 4.5"H
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Elusive Beauty ceramic form #8
 6.5" x 3" x 5"H
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YokoTerai16_La.jpg (31459 bytes) YokoTerai17_La.jpg (38628 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #16
 12" x 2" x 1"



Elusive Beauty ceramic form #17
11" x 2.5" x 2"
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YokoTerai19_La.jpg (29602 bytes) YokoTerai21_La.jpg (22893 bytes)
Elusive Beauty hanging ceramic form #19
9" x 3" x 1" 
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Elusive Beauty hanging ceramic form #21
 13" / 14.5" x 0.5" x 0.5"  (2-pc. set) 
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YokoTerai28_La.jpg (32426 bytes) YokoTerai29_Lb.jpg (43773 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #28
 12"H x 6" x 2"
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #29
 16"H x 9" x 3"
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YokoTerai30_La.jpg (43586 bytes)
Elusive Beauty ceramic form #30
11.5"H x 5.5" x 2"


Chronology & Exhibitions
1972  Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
1995  Graduated from the Department of Ceramic, Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto, Japan
1997  Solo show, Gallery Beni, Kyoto
1998  Group show, Gallery Nishikawa, Kyoto
1999  Solo show, Tor Gallery, Kobe
         Group show, Kintetsu Department store, Osaka
         Group show, Gallery Mitsuhashi, Kyoto
2000  Solo show, Gallery Utsuwa-kan, Kyoto
         Group show, Gallery Hanjun Plaza, Soel, Korea
2001  Solo show, Tor Gallery, Kobe
         Solo show, Hankyu Department Store, Kobe
2002  Solo show, Gallery Ceramika, Tokyo/Sapporo
         Solo show, Gallery Utsuwa-kan, Kyoto
         Solo show, Gallery Yamaki Bijutsu, Osaka
2003  Group show, Meitetsu Department Store, Nagoya
         Group show, Gion Konishi, Kyoto
         Solo show, Hankyu Department Store, Osaka
         Group show, Gallery Hanare, Hypgo
2004  Solo show, Gallery Utsuwa-kan, Kyoto
         Solo show, Gallery Kukansha Shirako, Tokyo
         Solo show, Gallery Yamaki Bijutsu, Osaka
         Solo show, Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Awards
1994  Selected for the Second Men-Bachi Grand Prize
1995  Mayor of Kyoto Prize
         Excellence Award, the Second Hana-no Sumika Grand Prize
1996  Selected for the Seventh Itami Craft Exhibition
1997  Selected for the Fourth Kyoto Craft Exhibition
1998  Selected for the
1998  International Craft Exhibition, Itami
         Miura Prize, the Fourth Sake Cup Exhibition
1999  Selected for the
1999  Craft National, Sapporo
2001  Selected for the 19th Asahi Modern Craft Exhibition
         Selected for the 2001 World Craft Competition, Kanazawa