Jun Kaneko
American, born Japan, born 1942Untitled Dango, 2003
On view
Stoneware
Dimensions64 × 21 × 14 in. (162.6 × 53.3 × 35.6 cm)
Gift of Alan and Kelly Ginsburg in honor of Art and Bess Hurand, 2006.61
Jun Kaneko began his artistic career studying painting but later became fascinated with sculptural ceramics. His painting background is evident on the surface of Untitled Dango (dango is Japanese for dumpling). The massive ceramic serves as a three-dimensional canvas for his abstract designs. Kaneko's preference for simplified forms, as well as his unrivaled technical innovation in ceramic, gives his work its effortless appearance. In fact, the process he developed to produce such large-scale works, some weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds, present enormous challenges in construction, glazing, and firing. For example, after construction, his work generally takes four months of drying time and up to a 35-day firing period.
