Japanese ceramics are increasingly being recognized not only as a traditional craft but also as a powerful force within contemporary art. Among the artists leading this shift is Kodai Ujiie, whose monumental ceramic sculptures have garnered international attention, with exhibitions spanning New York and beyond.
Reimagining Japan’s unique aesthetic sensibility through a distinctly contemporary lens, Ujiie’s work bridges centuries of ceramic tradition with a bold, global artistic vision.
Tokyo Gendai offers a rare opportunity to experience these works in person. Standing before them, viewers encounter a striking physical presence—the texture, scale, interplay of light, and palpable sense of life that cannot be conveyed through photographs alone. In this interview, Kodai Ujiie reflects on his current artistic practice, his evolving dialogue with the international art world, and the future he envisions for Japanese ceramics on the global stage.
