Shio Kusaka
Shio Kusaka, (dinosaur 2), 2013. Porcelain, 7 ½ x 6 ½ x 6 ½ in. (19.1 × 16.5 × 16.5 cm). Collection of the artist. Photograph by Devin Farrand
Born 1972 in Japan
Lives and Works in Los Angeles, CA
Each of the ceramic pots, bowls, and vases in Shio Kusaka's 2014 Biennial installation rewards close looking. While the artist’s work maintains intimate ties to the traditional field of pottery, every vessel reveals unique touches, such as subtle imperfections and idiosyncratic surface marks. In previous series, these marks took the form of grids, dots, chevrons, and parallel lines that engaged with the history of modern abstract painting. In the works included in the Biennial, Kusaka expands on her vocabulary, exploring expressive marks and saturated colors, as well as playful representations of dinosaurs.
Individually, each sculpture is a distinct, independent work of art, yet the collective arrays of shapes and colors that comprise her installations become something else entirely, producing a meditative landscape evoking the rhythms of language or song.
On View
Fourth Floor
Shio Kusaka’s work is on view in the Museum’s fourth floor galleries.
