Viewing Masaomi Yasunaga at Lisson Gallery

Masaomi Yasunaga’s wild adventures in ceramic glazes arrive at Lisson Gallery this week. The Japanese sculptor mixes ancient methods with his own experiments to create highly textured works that appear as if they have been shaped by nature.

Unlike most potters, Yasunaga makes glazes – rather than clays – his primary medium, mixing them with raw materials such as feldspars, rocks, metal or glass powders to create abstract forms and loosely functional vessels. He buries them in various strata of sand or kaolin (unrefined porcelain clay) in the kiln to preserve their structure in the firing stage. After cooling, Yasunaga exhumes the pieces to reveal their highly unusual surfaces. Clouds in the Distance – featuring over 80 works – is a captivating voyage of discovery.