Leaf-shaped Vessel

Inaba Chikako’s porcelain sculptures consist of organic, curvilinear forms that appear to flow as a natural extension of plant materials. Quiet and rhythmic, her works often mirror the shapes of seeds, leaves, or sprouts. Originally trained in Tokyo, Inaba traveled worldwide in search of inspiration for her work before settling temporarily in the ancient pottery town of Tajimi and later establishing her own kiln in another ancient pottery region, Shiga. Despite her location in these ancient centers of ceramics production, Inaba’s forms and techniques bear little resemblance to traditional Japanese pottery.