KOBE -- What do the ancient ceramics center of Shigaraki and suburban New Jersey have in common?
Probably nothing, except for ceramics artist Tacy Apostolik. This month, after 14 years of ceramics work in Japan, the New Jerseyite potter Apostolik is having her final show here before she sets up base on the East Coast of the United States.
Apostolik is known for her pieces inspired by Shigaraki traditions -- often visually solid, functional works in quartzy clay, with whimsical effects of cracks, warps, handles and curves. She is also one of the few Western women to have braved the traditional Japanese apprenticeship system for ceramics, having spent two full years with Shigaraki master Kiyotsugu Sawa before moving her base to Kyoto.