Jun Kaneko is a pioneer of ceramic sculpture, having developed new techniques that enable his large-scale forms and vibrant patterns and colors. His sculptures can take up to four months to dry, and over thirty days to fire. This work is from his ongoing Dango (Japanese for “dumpling”) series, begun in the 1980s. He has said, “Whether I’m making a large or small object, in the end I hope it will give off enough visual energy to shake the air around it.”

Kaneko moved from Nagoya, Japan, to California to study at the Chouinard Institute of Art in Los Angeles, and later with Peter Voulkos at the University of California, Berkeley. He currently lives and works in Omaha, Nebraska.