At first, the works of Japanese artist Masami Yamamoto look like a conceptual kind of art. The pieces of clothing are lying on the floor and carrying a hidden message that is up to the viewer to figure out. Only when you approach closer, you realize that they’re not actual clothes but ceramic sculptures. However, the message is still there to be uncovered.
Yamamoto specializes in realistic ceramic pieces that mimic hats, lingerie, napkins, and sweaters, among other pieces of clothes. The subjects of her works and the material she uses are not selected randomly. Quite the opposite, in fact.
She chooses ceramic because she believes the material “match very well our human existence through its strong presence and brittleness.” Clothes, on the other hand, serve as a way to “memorize the spirit of the owner and his traces.”
“By using the plasticity of clay, I try to reproduce the softness of clothes. Through the firing process, the clay is hardened and keeps the image of the object. It becomes a memory medium,” Yamamoto explains on her website.
Yamamoto is currently based in Kanazawa City, Japan, where she has her studio. She exhibited her works all over Japan and received several awards and accolades, including the Grand Prize at the 15th Spiral Independent Creators Festival. Check out more of her fascinating pieces below.
