37. Tomoko Konno  今野朋子

Tomoko Konno was born in 1967 in Akita, in the northwestern part of the island of Honshu. Today she lives and works in the ancient pottery town of Tokoname, but she also has a studio in Bali, Indonesia.  The inspiration for her artwork comes from all kinds of organisms from nature, such as sea and bottom animals that she does not copy but which seem to appear out of nowhere. The beauty of her work also comes from the nerikomi technique she uses, where the colors of the piece are not painted on the work, but are the colors of the clay itself from which the piece is constructed. Different shades of clay, from the clay itself or colored in, are mixed together or placed against each other in a certain way, and by making cross sections of these, a unique pattern is created. By using this technique, Konno realizes her objects that are not true to nature but still resemble living figures, exotic plants or creatures from an alien nature. Precisely because they are not true to nature, they become more realistic and imaginative, drawing the viewer into Tomoko Kono's mysterious flower garden. The same magical, dreamlike atmosphere of Bali that has already drawn many artists to this paradise island is also noticeably present in her work.  Tomoko Kono is a prominent member of a new generation of women ceramists; she has won many awards and participated in many exhibitions. becomes var everywhere and her work is featured in this traditionally male-dominated art form.  Her work is loved by collectors and has been acquired by several museums such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Kunstlerhaus Stadttopferei Neumunster (Germany) and the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum.

Sprout, 2018 - Bonhams