Register here!
Join us Tuesday, 7 May at 10:30AM EST for a conversation with:
Ken Matsuzaki, Artist
Ned Levering, Owner of Indigo Fire ceramic studio
Carla Collins, Chair of the Department of Art at Phillips Exeter Academy
Bernard Pucker, Gallery Director
Mugi Hanao, friend and translator
This WebinART will be an opportunity to discuss and share Ken's remarkable art. He has extended the Mingei tradition initiated by Shoji Hamada and Ken's own teacher Tatsuzo Shimaoka. All have lived and created in Mashiko, Japan.
The exhibition Cosmic Connection will be on view at Pucker Gallery from 11 May through 23 June 2024.
About Our Panelists:
Ken Matsuzaki was born in Tokyo in 1950 and received a degree in Ceramic Art from Tamagawa University School of Fine Arts, Tokyo. He moved to Mashiko in 1972 to apprentice with Tatsuzo Shimaoka (who himself had moved to Mashiko to study with Shoji Hamada). After a five-year apprenticeship, Matsuzaki established his own kiln, Yuushin Gama, down the road from Mr. Shimaoka. Matsuzaki’s works have a strong grounding in the Mingei philosophy though his approach is very contemporary, introducing a focus on the Oribe style with yohen, shino, and oribeglazing. Matsuzaki’s work has been exhibited all over the world, and is in the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art (Ohio), The Worcester Museum of Art (Massachusetts), the Tikotin Museum (Israel), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York).
Ned Levering’s love of pottery began during his first wheel throwing class with ceramicist Bob Woo in 2003. Ned graduated from University of Richmond in 2010 with a degree in finance. After banking for four years in New York, Ned quit his job to move back to Boston and pursue a more fulfilling life rooted in ceramics. He spent a year apprenticing for Judy Motzkin in Cambridge and in late 2015 partnered with Suchi Mumford to run Indigo Fire, a teaching studio in Belmont. In 2018, Ned became the sole owner of Indigo Fire which now has two locations and provides studio access to over 400 students. Ned's own ceramic work is influenced by 20th century English and Japanese pottery. He believes there is beauty in function. Ned has been testing and formulating unique glazes for over a decade which are published on the Indigo Fire website. Outside of pottery Ned enjoys woodworking, tinkering, making brushes and spending time with his family.
Carla Collins is a multi-media teaching artist. She was born and raised in New Hampshire. Collins, the daughter of working photographers, earned her BFA in studio arts in 2007 and her Master of Arts and Teaching in 2009 from Plymouth State University. In her artwork, Collins delves into a range of multi-media ceramic sculptures and screen-prints that draw inspiration from the intricate world of microscopic organisms, the spellbinding imagery of Cymatics, and the captivating beauty of the natural world. Collins is currently Chair of the Art Department at Phillips Exeter Academy, where she helps to shape her students' artistic education. She also advises the Flower Arranging Club, fostering her love of plants and creativity and sharing it with both students and the Exeter community. Collins' thirst for international exploration and her fascination with diverse cultures and their unique pottery techniques and histories have led her to Japan, Hungary, China, and Hawaii. These journeys have significantly enriched her global perspective, which she brings to her work as a teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy.
Bernie Pucker is the director of Pucker Gallery, which he founded with his wife, Sue, on Boston's historic Newbury Street in 1967. Pucker Gallery represents over fifty artists from around the world, presenting approximately ten exhibitions annually, often paired with artist talks, virtual “WebinARTs,” and Gallery receptions. Bernie is currently a Board Member at the Japan Society, Boston, and the Jewish Publication Society. He also serves on the Leadership Council for Facing History and Ourselves as well as the Artistic Advisory Board for the Terezin Music Foundation. Previously, he has served as President of Solomon Schechter Day School, President of the Newbury Street League, and Board Member for the Friends of Copley Square and The Unity Project, among others. Bernie received his MA in Modern Jewish History from Brandeis University and his BA in History and English Literature from Columbia College.