Perhaps it is the function of the places I visit, but lately, I have been noticing quite a lot of Japanese contemporary art gracing the walls and showrooms of New York City galleries. And given my love for simplicity and minimalism, that is just fine by me. So, let me share one of the shows I saw recently. It’s at the Ross+Kramer gallery and the artist is En Iwamura.

SO, WHO IS EN IWAMURA?

Large black sculpture of a male head by En Iwamura — En Iwamura “Always Lonely”

En Iwamura was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1988. Growing up in an artistic family, it is no surprise that he chose a career in the arts for himself, too. A graduate of the Kanazawa College of Art and Craft, and with a second MFA from Clemson University, his preferred medium is ceramics although he paints as well. A true global citizen, he has lived and worked in the US, China, France and Japan. His work has been shown in the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California, at the Ross+Kramer Gallery in New York City and East Hampton, and at the UNTITLED, ART. Fair in Miami.

WHAT INSPIRES THE WORK?

En Iwamura is best known for streamlined simplified figures and vessels with a distinctive ridged texture and instantly recognizable facial features. Working instinctively, taking inspiration from the material itself, he skips sketches and gets straight to the piece. This can sometimes lead to funny realizations that the kiln is too small for the envisioned piece!

His work is inspired by influences from his childhood, including Manga and Anime, as well as historical ceramic objects, artifacts and pop culture, whether it is Haniwa figures’ facial expressions, Jomon pottery, African masks, Chinese bronze works, Japanese zen gardens, or Aztec golden artifacts. In a departure from the typically more muted world of pottery and ceramics, Iwamura’s work is often infused with color. This is by design, as the artist explores how color can change the space and influence your experience with the piece. He references a number of contemporary artists who rely on color in their work, including Ugo Rondinone, Katharina Fritsch, Shinta Cho, Maki Sasaki, and Lucio Fontana.

EXPLORING “MA”

En Iwamura's current work explores how he can influence and change the experience of viewers who come in contact with his installation artworks. This is based on the Japanese philosophy of “Ma” that deep dives into meanings of distance, moment, space, and relationship. People constantly read and measure different Ma between themselves in search of the proper “Ma” that feels comfortable to them. So, in a way, the work invites personalizing one’s experience. That’s why you may see people leaning against, embracing or otherwise draping themselves against the large installations - and the artist embraces and encourages these joyful “close encounters.” So, how close would you get?

En Iwamura’s current show, “Always Lonely”, is on view at the Ross+Kramer Gallery in New York City’s Chelsea through March 5.

Large sculpture of a gray head by En Iwamura — Enn Iwamura “Always Lonely”

"I’ve explored NYC’s art scene before—read more about art in silence during the pandemic in my earlier post."