East and West: An Encounter Between Earth and Paper
We are delighted to present the latest publication, “East and West.”
A Prehistoric Gesture in a Connected World
While our era is shaped by the immediacy of the Internet and dematerialization, the practice of ceramics requires a radical return to the material. For Yoshimi Futamura, kneading the clay, breathing the dust, and perceiving the raw heat of the kiln are gestures that feel “almost prehistoric”. Yet, this practice is not an escape from the present, but a profoundly contemporary act: that of touching the cold, the hot, the hard, and the moist without the mediation of a keyboard.
The Legacy of Bernard Leach
The title of this work is a direct tribute to the book Beyond East and West by Bernard Leach, which has accompanied the artist since her student years. Like Leach in his time, Yoshimi Futamura explores the bridges between East and West, seeking a balance between tradition and modernity. This book is the record of an emotional journey—a return to her roots undertaken during a visit to the Nihon Mingeikan Museum of Folk Crafts in Tokyo—and born from the certainty that her art would never have reached such fullness without this permanent dialogue between East and West.
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The Artist’s Gaze: The Franco-Lebanese poet and sculptor Simone Fattal brings her unique sensitivity to this work.
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The Expert’s Perspective: Pierre Gautier, art historian and specialist at the Musée Cernuschi, provides a historical landmark for these contemporary Japanese creations.
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The Writing of Light: Photographer Tadayuki Minamoto deploys his unique lighting technique to sculpt the space of the pages and reveal the intensity of the textures.
“A work, whether of clay or paper, only truly exists when it meets the other.”
Printed with meticulous care in France on the presses of ICI, this book is a limited edition of 500 copies. It is an invitation to share a moment of presence, to feel the breath of the Himalayas and the power of the Japanese earth through these pages.
“East and West” is now available. We hope these pages find a deep resonance within you.