Fukami was inspired by Chinese qingbai porcelains from the 10th to 13th centuries, characterized by their faint greenish-blue glaze, called celadon. The forked crack on this delicate bowl has been filled with lacquer and sprinkled with gold, a traditionally Japanese form of ceramic repair suggesting that this work was a piece that found its way to Japan. Fukami’s admiration for qingbai puts him in good company.
As the porcelain dried, the artwork changed shape. Fukami used various tools, including knives and sandpaper, to smooth and correct its shape.
The smooth, even surface of the artwork is no accident. Fukami used a spray gun to apply the seihakuji glaze.
Fukami’s piece seems to defy gravity. The porcelain form balances on a wooden base designed by the artist, allowing it to be viewed from many different angles.
The wave-like forms of many of Fukami’s works seemed to have been inspired by personal experience. An early memory of the ocean inspired his later work: “It was the memory of an encounter I had with a sharp breeze while on the cliff during winter… All the senses in my body felt the pleasure of the strange wind as it stabbed my cheek. This tactile experience is at the heart of my creations.”