Tomio Koyama Gallery Tennoz is pleased to present “Umi no Tsubo,” a solo exhibition of works by ceramic artist Adam Silverman.

This exhibition, which will be the artist’s fifth show with the gallery and his first solo show with the gallery in seven years, introduces fifteen works from his new “Tide Jar” series, created with glazes and clays made with materials collected from the shores of various oceans.

【About Adam Silverman and His Works: An Enigmatic Presence and Sharp Sensibility】

Adam Silverman’s ceramic works, characterized by their uneven textures reminiscent of crust and lava, and organic circular forms evoking an egg or a planet, permeate with a distinct enigmatic presence as if having been born from the very earth itself. At the same time, the air of sophistication surrounding his works is indeed attributed to his sharp sensibility that draws from his studies in architecture, as well as his background as a founding member of the fashion brand “X-LARGE,” which became synonymous with 90s’ American west coast street culture.

Silverman began producing ceramics as a teenager and continued until 2022 when he became a full time ceramic artist, and has since continued to produce work through new and unique approaches informed by a contemporary perspective. His work has been collected by various public institutions across the globe including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center (Dallas, Texas), and the Israel Museum.

Please see here for further details on the artist:
https://tomiokoyamagallery.com/en/artists/adam-silverman/

【About the New Series “Tide Jar:” Ceramics that Weave Together Ocean Materials and the Powers of Nature】

The “Tide Jar” series is inspired by the “Moon Jar,” a type of Korean white porcelain made during the Joseon dynasty, whose name derives from its shape and color of the glaze that resemble the coloration of the moon.

“Tide” as used in the title of the work refers to the rise and fall of the seas caused by the effects of the gradational forces exerted by the moon. The resulting forces of the tides are experienced as waves and currents of the ocean; these are irregular forces, motions and energies that vary from gentle to rolling, to violent.

The new works presented in the exhibition are made with materials collected from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in New England, and from the shores of the Pacific Ocean in California and Kauai, Hawaii. These materials, such as clays, driftwood, seaweed, sand, seashells, salt and rusty metals are all used to make glazes, to feed the fire, or as atmospheric additives inside the kiln to enhance the firing environment. Many of the pieces are fired several times in extreme atmospheres and temperatures, and through Silverman’s remarkable artistry, come to manifest as highly ambitious and unprecedented works of ceramic.

Ocean materials from different regions come together to create a single world within the work. What they clearly reflect is the calm yet powerful gaze of the artist who expresses a profound appreciation for nature. Through his works, we are reminded of the fact that where we are now is a part of a much larger and distant universe.

We welcome visitors to take this valuable opportunity to engage with Silverman’s latest oeuvre, that bring together a curiosity for the unknown and the mysterious powers and rhythms of nature.

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For press inquiries, please contact: press@tomiokoyamagallery.com (Makiko Okado)
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