Exploring the Unseen: The Sculptures of Tanaka Yū at Joan B Mirviss

Tanaka Yū, born in 1989 and based in Kyoto, works exclusively in clay. From November 5 to December 18, 2026, Joan B Mirviss, the New York gallery devoted to Japanese ceramics and fine art, presents "Exploring the Unseen: The Sculptures of Tanaka Yū."

At first glance, her pieces look like vessels or boxes bundled in Japanese wrapping cloth. Every fold, however, is made of clay. These trompe l'oeil sculptures take as their starting point the softness, texture and pliability of cotton cloth dyed with traditional colors. The wrapping seems to conceal something, and that question of what lies inside is central to the work.

Her process runs against appearances. The forms look slab-built, but Tanaka coil-builds them in Shigaraki-blended clay, which she prefers for its plasticity. She sponges the surface smooth, then applies thin layers of clay slip with a brush or an airbrush.

Tanaka cites the earlier Sodeisha group, the postwar Kyoto collective that pushed Japanese ceramics toward sculpture, as an inspiration. Like them, she shapes forms that enclose space and air, and she questions what function means for a clay object. Her work is easily recognized, often in a distinctive turmeric yellow. It has entered the collections of several major Western museums and has appeared prominently in promotion for museum exhibitions in recent years.

The gallery is at 39 East 78th Street, Suite 401, on the Upper East Side. It is open Monday to Friday, 11am to 6pm, and by appointment.