Paper or porcelain? Saori Matsushita folds delicate ceramics into playful objects – colossal

a mug and paper airplane sculpture that appear to made of lined paper atop white notepad

It can be tempting to throw one Saori Matsushita‘s paper airplanes around the room, but we promise you the landing wouldn’t be exactly graceful.

From her studio in Seattle, Matsushita transforms delicate sheets of porcelain into vases, mugs and sculptures that look as if they were folded from paper. The functional objects are pierced with holes for binders and the fringed edge of a torn-out sheet and bear the iconic blue lines of a school notebook. Other works are equally deceptive, such as the cloth bags or collared shirts that capture the folds, curves and bulges of fabric in ceramic.

a small button-down shirt on a hanger holds flowers

To create these pieces, Matsushita uses nerikomia Japanese pottery technique in which colored clay bodies are layered and then cut to reveal a patterned section. Blue and pink stripes appear from stacking plates rather than the glazing process, and the artist builds most of the works by hand (visit her YouTube to see more).

When Matsushita began incorporating this labor-intensive method into her practice in 2023, it helped develop what has now become her signature style. She shares:

I used to focus on Neriagea technique in which colored clays are combined and thrown with a wheel. However, I switched to Nerikomi and began treating porcelain sheets like origami or leather to create more unique, personal expressions of my vision. I feel that this shift has allowed me to develop a style that truly reflects my individuality as an artist.

One of Matsushita’s pieces will be on display in Saltstone Ceramicsannual Mug Madness tournament in March. Follow the latest news about her practice, along with announcements about new works available in her shopon Instagram.

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a blue ceramic vase that appears to be made of paper contains flowers
two ceramic paper airplane sculptures on top of a white notepad
a white ceramic vase that appears to be made of paper contains flowers
a trio of vases in the shape of white and blue dresses
a ceramic butter dish that appears to be made of blue lined white graph paper
two small ceramic bowls that appear to be made from folded headscarves
a collection of ceramic mugs, trays and vessels that appear to be made of white graph paper



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