Jun Kaneko

Abstract Ceramic Artist

"It takes so much effort to make a big piece, so you better make sure the piece is going to be good. So don't make ugly, big piece!“--Jun Kaneko

Whether in a Philadelphia where Giant Heads are on display in a courtyard.

Or where they are displayed in a park.

You cannot escape the extraordinary works of ceramicist Jun Kaneko.

The early years of Kanekos life were spent studying the art of painting and regularly attending night school.

In the year of 1963, Kaneko left Japan to study art in Los Angeles, California.

It was here that he decided to trade in his paintbrush for a set of potter's tools.

He began using clay as a sculptural medium to create expressive works on a larger scale than ever before.

Kaneko is known for hand building large-scale sculptural works that exemplify visual elements dealing with movement, line, and color.

The surfaces are always painted with dynamic colors and designs that allow the viewer to become lost in the sculpture.

Kanekos geometric patterns often give the sculptures a since of energy and movement.

The forms of the sculptures are usually oval, round, or square.

He produced a large Dango series of ceramic pieces resembling vases without openings.

Dango means "dumpling" or "closed form" in Japanese.

He also created TANUKI figures.

They were inspired by that country’s folklore in which the “tanuki” or “raccoon dog” is a mischievous trickster.

Another monumental shapes he works with is simply called Head.

These Heads are six-feet tall, and weigh up 1,200-lbs.

"I'm pretty sure I don't know when it's going to end, but without my studio time, it's not even worth for me to be alive almost.“– Jun Kaneko

cbs Kaneko