Naomi Yasui
Chapter IV : Painting with Fire
October 16–November 15, 2014
Opening: Thursday, October 16th, 7–10pm
This is the first solo exhibition by Naomi Yasui at ESP, presented in the project space.
Chapter IV: Painting with Fire is a collection of ceramic vessels and photographs produced during a residency in Skælskør, Denmark. These forms look to historical Japanese ceramics fired in atmospheric kilns. The firing process dictates the form, a means to capture the mysterious and erratic colours that emerge when unglazed clay meets fire. Elongated and bulbous forms were created to best capture the effects of firing and cooling with natural materials, while embracing the uncertainty of this method. Yasui’s conceptual practice revolves around process, form, and happenstance. The products of experimentation are exhibited as remains alongside finished pieces, allowing the viewer to glimpse and judge the artist’s edits.
The title of this exhibition is borrowed from an instructional ceramic book titled Soda, Clay, Fire by Gail Nichols, a text Yasui referenced frequently while experimenting with atmospheric firing. Accompanying the sculptures are photographic works that explore traditional ceramic documentation and play with these aesthetic choices. When three-dimensional object are flattened by photographs, the viewer is forced to observe them object from only one perspective. This relationship between perception and reality again explores what the artist decides to reveal.
Naomi Yasui is a ceramic artist, working in sculpture, performance and installation. Recent exhibitions include Chapter XI: Vases at Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects (Toronto) Wardens Abroad with Heather Goodchild, at Sur la Montagne (Berlin) The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto), The Power Plant, (Toronto) Battat Contemporary (Montreal) and Robert McLaughlin Gallery, (Oshawa). Yasui was granted an artist-in-residence placement at Guldagergaard in Skælskor, Denmark, She lives and works in Toronto.
