MAKIKO ICHIURA 

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

As a student of art history, I became particularly enamored with the sophistication of traditional Japanese arts and crafts. After my studies were completed, I began to explore the world of both Chinese and Japanese ceramics, along with other traditional crafts and disciplines.

I have been working with clay for over 20 plus years, living in a rural surroundings with daily encounters with animals. My haniwa style horses and warriors were inspired by the tomb figures of 4th-7th century Japan, which are renowned for their stylistic simplicity and primitive sophistication.

Creating animals in clay have provided me with a deeper appreciation of their lives and how they relate to my everyday life. It reinforces my sense of responsibility to the environment which we share.