Artist Statement
For thirteen years I ‘ve made the ceramic works that were combined with the metal. Though these works look like a genuine metallic, products, the main material is ceramics and only a few parts are real metal. I am wondering if I could eliminate the borderline of this earthenware and metal. My main works are modern arts, and at the same time they are crafts. I would like to erase the borderline between the modern art and craft work, and between the AVANT-GARDE and TRADITIONAL CRAFT by firing them in my kiln.
My work is a contemporary art and also a craft. I think always, and I would like be able to offer their critical point. Recently, I am trying approach to contemporary art from ceramic art. I am making vessel for invisible or formless things. For example vessel of sounds, vessel of time. KAGAYAKI is vessel of lights or rays. I made KAGAYAKI body by translucent clay. This clay has been developed at Industrial Research Center of Shiga Prefecture in 2009. I baked fluorescent material on KAGAYAKI inner. I illuminated it with ultraviolet light lamp. Ultraviolet light is invisible light rays. I rebirth it to visible light rays in KAGAYAKI. and I illuminated some KAGAYAKI with blue LED.
— Tetsuya Tanaka
Bio
Tetsuya Tanaka exhibits on a national and international level, having work in shows in Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, USA, India, Hungary, Croatia and China. He invited as a Guest Artist Residency in European Ceramic Work centre EKWC Netherlands, The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park Japan, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum Taiwan and The Clay Studio USA. In Kagayaki series made recently, he creates the light of object putting an illuminant in the translucent ceramics. With the clear concept representing as the vessel for the light in this artwork, He tries to expand the contemporary art based on ceramic art. He is always challenging to create his works with the aim of the fusion of ceramic art and contemporary art.