“Pots are formed in clay, though the space inside them is the essence of the pot.” –from an old Japanese poem.
Japanese artist En Iwamura's week-long solo show is in its final days at Ross+Kramer Gallery's East Hampton space. New Works, indeed, features a new series of sculptures from the artist who challenges the centuries-long tradition of ceramics.
Beyond the practical, Iwamura's pieces are guided by the Japanese philosophy of Ma, which is based on appreciation of the time and space that life needs to grow. Coming from a practice where ceramics are made for utility, Ma reinvents the practice with abstract forms, bright colors and unique linear textures. Surprising surfaces, whimsical shapes and a vibrant palette lend a fluid plasticity that often results in funny faces. His series of surreal busts emerge as a modern adaption of classic anime characters and classic portrait sculpture.
The gallery explains that Ma encompasses “Meanings of distance, moment, space, relationship and more,” that “People constantly read and measure different Ma between themselves and finding the proper or comfortable Ma between people of places can provide a specific relationship at a given moment.” Iwamura provides that opportunity in his gallery show, a chance for artist and viewer to pause and savor in a quiet time and space.
