Makoto Yabe
Vessel
Description/
Makoto Yabe’s work exemplifies the artistic freedom and improvisational approach that was essentially prohibited to him in Japan, where he was a classically trained ceramicist. In order to be free to experiment and explore the boundaries of his art, Yabe left for the US where he taught and worked for the rest of his life.
He began to incorporate elements of the Wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic that embraces the imperfect. ”Wabi-sabi objects are usually kind of ugly, but when you look carefully at the details, you see beauty in the objects. It’s quite different from the Western concept of beauty; it’s asymmetrical and imperfect, because that’s more like nature.
Nerikome (mixed colored clays thrown on the wheel), Neriage (mixed colored clays formed in a mold), and Mishima (inlaying colored clay into a different colored clay body) were some of his favorite ceramic techniques. He created both functional and decorative works and traditional and experimental pieces. He made boxes, pots, and plates as well as sculptural works, even a stoneware installation he called ”Song of the Wind,” which consisted of an array of brightly colored vessels, vaguely human and nearly 4 feet tall.

Makoto Yabe
designer
Date/
1980
Exclusive/
Yes
Material/
Ceramic
Dimension/
8.3 x 17.8 x 8.3 cm (3.3 x 7.0 x 3.3 in)
Style/
Handcrafted
Heritage/
USA
Ships from/
Philadelphia, PA