Nobuhito Nishigawara
N Studios LLC
Ceramicist
Fullerton, CA, USA
Recommended by Craft in America
The human experience shaped in clay
- Nobuhito makes concept-led ceramic vessels and sculptures
- In his work he explores the Japanese concept of ma, or in-between spaces
- His tactile, organic vessels visibly bear the marks of the making touch
At just 15 years old, Nobuhito Nishigawara left his native Japan to explore wider possibilities. In Canada, his visually impaired high school ceramics teacher, also Japanese, made a profound impact on him with his ability to 'think large' and teach something so visual. “During high school, I had no interest in art,” Nobuhito says. Nevertheless, he went on to earn a ceramics degree and then an MFA in the USA, teaching and exhibiting immediately afterward. His work has evolved from traditional pottery and narrative pieces to handbuilt, highly textured glazed objects that often incorporate glass and rock. “My sculptures express raw emotion, giving physical form to the shared human experiences that connect us,” says Nobuhito.
INTERVIEW
For me, texture and colour are much like makeup, accentuating certain qualities while concealing others. They act to direct perception and amplify emotion, allowing the work to move beyond its physical form and engage the viewer on a more sensory level.
My first abstract series, Artificial Nature, gave way to my Qualia series as I realised it was not nature, but personal perception that I wanted to express. My Mantra series moves further away from the subjective toward a collective view of existence.
To me, technique is important, but remains secondary to concept. A clear intention will direct and drive the materials and process, requiring me to work with flexibility. I am willing to adopt, combine or invent techniques to serve and support the idea for a piece.
Japanese culture is deeply embedded in me: the way of thinking, an awareness of subtlety, space and atmosphere, and a sensitivity to materials. In America, surrounded by diversity, I learned to embrace difference, and my own contradictions and complexities.
Nobuhito Nishigawara
N Studios LLC
Ceramicist
Fullerton, CA, USA
Recommended by Craft in America
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Fullerton, CA, USA
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+1 7147852391
LANGUAGES
English, Japanese
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