Akiko Hirai’s work encompasses both sculptural vessels and functional ware, characterised by irregularity and asymmetry, while embracing the aesthetic and philosophical principles of wabi-sabi. These sculptural works are inspired by the complex realm of sleep, where our minds and bodies are in a constant quest to process the intricacies of human emotion. Hirai finds solace in this space, particularly drawn to the REM phase, where emotions are delicately regulated and stored in our memories like snowflakes and petals gently falling across the landscape of our minds.
“Mini Moon Jar White #2” is realised with the use of a mixture of stoneware, porcelain and wood ash, and part of the artist’s most iconic Moon Jars series. This series created in stoneware and porcelain expresses an exploration of contrast, a juxtaposition of coarse clay and translucent glaze. At the core of the artist’s practice is the reinterpretation of the traditional Korean Kohiki pottery, featuring a porous surface and cangiante light colour. Starting from a raw, dark clay body, the artist applies multiple layers of glaze and slips, the sculpture’s elaborated texture is the result of chemical reactions between glaze and ash.