Shio Kusaka, 2006. Photo by Aubrey Mayer
David Zwirner is pleased to present its first exhibition with Shio Kusaka since announcing representation of the artist in 2020. Taking place at the gallery’s 519 West 19th Street location in New York, one light year will feature a singular installation of Kusaka’s new ceramic works. Known for her playful and open approach to the medium, as well as her characteristic line work and intuitive sense of color, Kusaka crafts vessels that embrace organic imperfections, recurrent techniques and patterns, and imagery that alludes to historical and contemporary forms.
In her ceramics, which are often made in distinct series, Kusaka articulates unique forms and produces complex designs with a heightened emphasis on difference and repetition, bringing awareness to poetic irregularities. Her work rewards close observation, which reveals layered intricacies and optical qualities through subtle shifts in glazing or decoration. The motifs she combines and recontextualizes—including wood grain and fruit textures, and her children’s infatuation with dinosaurs and other animals—are all influenced by her daily life. Process-oriented titles, composed of terms such as “carved” or “line” followed by a number, reveal the tactility of Kusaka’s work.
Image: Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022.
Shio Kusaka, 2006. Photo by Aubrey Mayer
Shio Kusaka, (triangle 47), 2018 (detail)
Shio Kusaka, group 58, 2021 (detail)
Kusaka’s studio, 2022. Courtesy Wood Kusaka Studios
Shio Kusaka, (line 143), 2020 (detail)
Shio Kusaka, (line 144), 2020 (detail)
Installation view, Shio Kusaka, Neutra VDL Studio and Residences, Los Angeles, 2020. Photo by Marten Elder
Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022
Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022
Shio Kusaka, (line 147), 2021 (detail)
Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022
Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022
Installation view, Shio Kusaka, Neutra VDL Studio and Residences, Los Angeles, 2020. Photo by Marten Elder
Kusaka’s studio, 2022. Courtesy Wood Kusaka Studios
Shio Kusaka, (Jomon study 7), 2021 (detail)
Shio Kusaka, (Jomon study 6), 2021 (detail)
Kusaka’s studio, 2022. Courtesy Wood Kusaka Studios
Kusaka’s studio, 2022. Courtesy Wood Kusaka Studios
Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022
Installation view, Shio Kusaka: one light year, David Zwirner, New York, 2022
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