'Treading the Earth:' An exhibition on transformation and impermanence

On his first night in Shanghai, after the long hours of setting up his exhibition, Masaomi Yasunaga wandered alone into the Lisson Gallery space. His footsteps echoed softly against the floor, where organic material had been carefully laid down to capture the marks of every visitor.

As he walked, the Japanese ceramic sculptor, 43, paused to listen – to feel the sound of his steps reverberating in the empty space. "I just wanted to hear my footsteps," he said. "To feel the touch, the feedback from the earth beneath me."

This quiet moment of introspection marks the opening of "Treading the Earth," Yasunaga's first solo exhibition in China at Lisson Gallery in Shanghai. The exhibition showcases a series of experimental and expressive vessel sculptures, alongside newly developed tablet works made from handmade mosaic tiles.

For Yasunaga, this is more than an exhibition – it's a reflection of his continued exploration of how time, presence, and nature intertwine in ways we often fail to notice.

A quiet and introspective person, the Japanese artist has spent much of his life listening to the stories that materials tell – stories of time, transformation, and the subtle effects of human touch.

It was at age 18, after encountering the works of his teacher, Satoru Hoshino, that Yasunaga decided to immerse himself in the world of ceramics. What began as a fascination with the shaping of clay gradually turned into a profound connection with the material itself, especially with glaze.

"I wasn't that much interested in the shaping of the clay," he recalled. "I was drawn to the transformation that glaze undergoes in the kiln, the way it evolves, and how it can express something beyond the form itself."

This obsession with the unpredictable nature of glaze would become the hallmark of his artistic journey. Over the years, Yasunaga has developed a unique method of working with glaze – one that elevates it from a mere surface treatment to the primary medium of his sculptures.

Combined with unique raw materials such as feldspars, whole rocks, metal or glass powders, his glaze forms are buried in various strata of sand or kaolin (unrefined porcelain clay) to preserve their structure in the firing stage.

After cooling, the sculptures are carefully excavated from their beds, much like an archeological discovery. The result is a mix of whole and fragmented objects, shaped by natural forces over time. These sculptures have a unique aesthetic that blends both primitive and modern qualities as if they were lost and then rediscovered, emphasizing the dominance of nature over human creation.

The theme of vessels is central to his artistic journey. To him, a vessel is more than just a container; it is a symbol of protection and preservation. "A vessel holds something precious, something you want to protect," he said. "In a way, everything in life is a vessel – our homes, the earth, even our bodies. They are all containers for something sacred."

Yasunaga's work is deeply reflective of his understanding of time and its effects on objects. His recent tablet works of hand-made mosaic tiles are inspired from the cobblestone streets he first encountered during his travels abroad.

For the artist, these streets, worn smooth by centuries of human footsteps, symbolize the gradual, almost imperceptible changes that occur when people interact with their environment.

"I was fascinated by how these cobblestones change over time," Yasunaga recalled. "Each footstep leaves its trace, and with the passage of time, those stones slowly transform. It's a process of human interaction becoming part of nature."

These pixelated mosaic-made tablets depict compositions of vessel containers in various arrangements, extending the vessel metaphors achieved by the raw and rough texture of his three-dimensional works.

This theme of transformation and impermanence is at the core of this exhibition.

The gallery floor, covered in an organic material that absorbs visitors' footprints, symbolizes this constant cycle. As the audience moves through the space, their marks are left behind, gradually altering the appearance of the floor – just as time, and human actions within it, leave their marks on the world.

"I want people to feel like they are part of the work," Yasunaga noted. "Their footsteps will change the space, just as our presence changes the world around us."

If you go

Date: February 22-April 19

Address: 2/F, 27 Huqiu Rd 虎丘路27号

Admission: Free