This early set of three works by Kako Katsumi, dating to 1991, reveals the foundations of a visual language that would remain central to his practice: the fusion of archaic pattern, raw clay surface, and architectonic form. Even at this stage, the works feel like fragments of time, suggesting implements or unearthed relics rather than functional objects. Each form rises with a monolithic clarity, the silhouette tapering upward while anchored by a subtle, flared base. The geometry is deliberate yet unrefined, retaining the immediacy of hand-cut planes. Across these planes, Kako introduces his now-recognizable system of repetitive ornament: alternating bands of triangular tessellation and scrolling arabesque. The patterns appear not applied but embedded—either through resist, slip, or inlay—so that they emerge from within the clay body itself. This integration is crucial: decoration is not superficial, but inseparable from the material. The motifs carry an intentionally archaic resonance, evoking prehistoric markings on early earthenware traditions, aligning with Kako’s broader engagement with ancient visual culture. The surface itself is dry, granular, almost abraded—more akin to weathered stone than fired clay. Subtle variations in tone—ashen beige, iron-brown, and muted umber—animate the relief of the patterns, which shift in legibility depending on light and angle. In places, the motifs dissolve into the ground, reinforcing a sense of erosion or temporal distance. They vary from 58 to 66.5 cm in height, (23 to 26-1/2 inches) and come accompanied with a signed wooden placard, directly from the artists personal collection.
Due to size, the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Kako Katsumi was born in Kyoto in 1965, and graduated the ceramics department of Saga Art College in 1986. He was selected for the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition, the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition and the Kyoten held at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art in 1988, followed in 1989 by the National Ceramic Art Exhibition and Mino International Ceramics Exhibition. He has since exhibited and or been selected/ awarded many times at these prestigious events. He established his kiln in Nishiwaki City in 1991. In 1994 he worked in Melbourne. Australia, and would create a second kiln in 2001. In 2004 he would be awarded the Prize of Excellence at the Tanabe Museum of Art Modern Tea Forms exhibition. In 2005 he established his current kiln in Sasayama, Hyogo prefecture. In 2009 he his work was featured at the Kikuchi Biennale Exhibition and the following year was awarded at the 4th Contemporary Tea Bowls Exhibition, and in 2011 was selected for the influential Paramita Ceramic Exhibition. 2013 saw him in New York, and 2014 at the Museum of Ceramic Art in Hyogo (Kobe). Held in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art among others.
