Machiko Ogawa
Machiko Ogawa was born in 1946 in Sapporo, Japan. A renowned contemporary ceramic artist, Ogawa’s work is deeply influenced by her travels and her lifelong fascination with the natural world. After studying crafts at the Tokyo University of the Arts, she pursued ceramics at l’École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d’Art in Paris. In 1972, Ogawa moved to Burkina Faso, where she lived for several years, immersing herself in local ceramic techniques and further developing her practice.
Her work reflects an ongoing exploration of geological processes, drawing inspiration from minerals, rocks, and the forces that shape the earth. Ogawa’s ceramics embrace natural properties such as distortion, crazing, chips, and glaze crawling, creating utsuwa (vessels) that capture the dichotomy of making and breaking, with each piece carrying a sense of primordial power. During her time in Paris, visits to the Musée de Minéralogie Mines deepened her understanding that “form already exists” within the beauty of minerals.
In 2019, Ogawa’s work Time Unearthed was presented in the inaugural exhibition of the National Museum of Qatar. She will also present Crystals and Memory: Five Mountains (2020) at the Aichi Triennale in 2025. Ogawa’s works are held in prestigious collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Musée Guimet, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The MET, the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Ogawa’s innovative approach to ceramics has earned her numerous accolades, including the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2018 and the Musée Tomo Award of Excellence in 2010. Her work continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its striking connection to the earth and geological processes.
galerie frank elbaz is delighted to present new works by Ogawa in her solo exhibition Apophyllízo, le bleu de la mer, le bleu du ciel, from May 10 to July 12, 2025.
Après un diplôme d’Arts Appliqués à l’université d’es Art de Tokyo, Ogawa a étudié la céramique à l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliquées et Métiers d’Art à Paris. Pendant son séjour à Paris, elle visite le Musée de Minéralogie où elle découvre la beauté des minéraux - l’étude de nombreux spécimens géologiques a profondément influencé sa pratique.
Elle déménage par la suite au Burkina Faso en tant qu’assistante de recherche pour son mari, l’anthropologue Kawada Junzo. Elle y apprend les techniques céramiques locales, tirant parti de propriétés telles que la distorsion, les craquelures, les éclats et les craquelures de glaçure.
Sa pratique passe par un processus complexe de sculpture et de cuisson de l’argile pour obtenir une forme fissurée, semblable à un rocher, sur laquelle un pinacle de verre a ensuite été fusionné. L’aspect brut et élémentaire de ces oeuvres suggèrent une émergence des profondeurs de la terre.
En 2019, son œuvre Time Unearthed a été présentée dans l'exposition inaugurale du Musée national du Qatar. Elle participera à la Triennale d'Aichi en 2025.
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Art Basel Miami Beach
Sheila Hicks, Julije Knifer, Mikael Lo Presti, Machiko Ogawa, Kenjiro Okazaki, Mungo Thomson 6 - 8 Dec 2024Read more -
Art Basel
Chloé Delarue, Sheila Hicks, Julije Knifer, Shiryu Morita, Kenjiro Okazaki, Machiko Ogawa, Mungo Thomson 11 - 16 Jun 2024Read more -
Frieze Los Angeles
Sheila Hicks, Machiko Ogawa & Yasuhisa Kohyama 16 - 19 Feb 2023Read more