Shigekazu Nagae

Shigekazu Nagae is at the forefront in ceramic casting techniques, creating works that balance artisanal excellence with artistic creativity. Using ancient techniques and moulds from his native town, Nagae pushes the possibilities and boundaries of ceramics casting, helping to redefine a craft sometimes associated with repeated production. His works marry technical knowledge of the material with a perfect control of the firing process. The firing process becomes an integral part of the object, as it is the intense heat of the gas kiln that will help distort the porcelain to its final wavy form. He is internationally recognised with pieces having been acquired by such prestigious institutions as the V&A, the National Gallery of Australia and the Musée National de Ceramique-Sèvres in Paris.

Nagae uses moulds to cast his intricate porcelain objects. The pieces are cast from liquid porcelain slip and dried before being fired. Nagae creates the pieces in pairs. Following the initial firing, he places one of the porcelain pieces within the other and applies glaze to parts of them. They are then placed in the kiln and fired at a high temperature. In doing so the glaze from the two pieces fuses them together. The high temperature will also distort the piece, further increasing its wave-like form.

Porcelain Virtuosity Exhibition