Vessel No. 1 from Nō Dance series

Like many Japanese women ceramists, Kishi Eiko entered the male-dominated world of ceramic production through art school, rather than a traditional apprenticeship. She attended the Ceramic Research Center in Ashiya before establishing her own studio in her native city of Kyoto. Perhaps because she has no affiliation with any of Japan's longstanding pottery traditions, she has been free to develop her own unique style. She hand-builds her strong geometric forms, and then scores the surface with radiating patterns of fine lines. Afterwards, she creates thousands of tiny holes, which she fills with small dabs of colored slip. This laborious process can take up to three months, but results in a compelling tension between the lace-like surface and boldly faceted form.