About

Eri Sugimoto’s work explores two key relationships : the relationship between pattern and form, and the relationship between form and people and space.

The Relationship Between Pattern and Form
The patterns on her pieces are created using paper that is carefully hand-cut, one by one. These paper patterns are arranged on bodies formed either by wheel throwing or hand-building. Multiple layers of glaze slip are then applied, and finally, the paper is gently removed to reveal the pattern. Even after removing the paper, delicate handwork continues both before and after bisque firing to carefully refine the edges and textures of the patterns. The slip layered in many coats melts during firing to emerge as a distinctive surface texture.

Once combined with form, the patterns create a new relationship with the three dimensional object. Decoration and patterning have traditionally been widely used processes in ceramics since ancient times. Her work quietly reexamines the role of pattern on three dimensional objects and the relationship between ornamentation and form. The contrast between pattern and background texture, the way patterns appear across edges and boundaries, how they continue across different surfaces, and the contrast between the patterned area and the area of the clay body. Through these expressions, she explores the relationship between pattern and form as a whole.

Though her cut-out patterns maintain a consistent visual language across the series, they also evolve gradually over time. Within this consistency and continuity, she investigates the relationship between pattern and form as space, giving rise to diverse modes of expression.
 
The Relationship Between Form and People / Space
While maintaining the vessel as a primary format, her work seeks to explore how form interacts with people and the spaces it inhabits. For instance, a vase is not only a container for holding flowers but also a medium that initiates new relationships with its surroundings and with people. One such example is a vase that does not stand on its own but supports itself by surrendering to its environment. Her work also creates a unique presence through combinations with other materials. She pursues various ways in which form engages with people and space, while also exploring coexistence with sculptural beauty.

Through her work, she explores these relationships from a perspective shaped by the time and context in which she lives.