While attending college, Yasuyoshi Sugiura was moved by the words of his teacher, who told him, "ceramics are stones." This inspired the artist to explore the potential of clay as a medium, creating works such as the "Stones of Ceramics" series" that, as the title suggests, presented small, realistic ceramic rocks. By taking a conventional and ubiquitous shape and re-creating it in an unfamiliar material, Sugiura challenges visitors to re-examine and re-interpret the ordinary.
This exhibition presents a large-scale version of the "Stones of Ceramics" series, titled the "Rocks of Ceramics," as well as 27 works from Sugiura's "Natural History of Ceramics" collection, which features flowers with petals, seeds and stem made entirely of ceramics; June 7-Aug. 3.
Otani Memorial Art Museum, Nishinomiya City; 4-38 Nakahama-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo. Koroen Stn. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ¥500. Closed Wed. 0798-33-0164; www.otanimuseum.jp/home