The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 53 No 1 April 2014

Connections: Australia and Asia
Above: Keiko Matsui in her studio; above right: Keiko Matsui, Stitched Bow', detail, 2013, porcelain, wheelthrown
stitched with thread. clear glaze, h.13cm. w.28cm; photo: courtesy artist
Opposite page: Koiko Matsui, Mother and Child, 2012, porcelain, wheelthrown, altered, white matt glaze
tallest, h.37cm, d.14cm; photo: Steve Cummings
The Western way of making something that is both beautiful and functional but not using it presents a
philosophical challenge to her, as do the high prices they command.
She explored this in her Honours year with a wall piece, Seven Souls, seven simple white porcelain
bowls placed on a stepped stand. She asks, "Is this fine art or craft?" Her work continues to mirror this
conundrum. Keiko describes it as "not fully Western, not fully Eastern" . She moves between functional
work and scul ptural. Her functional pieces are mainly exquisite white porcelain bowls and vases,
sometimes with line drawings in cobalt, or thrown and altered with the cicatrice of a join or the gentle
reshaping of a rim as decoration. She says, "Making a simple beautiful bowl is one of the hardest things
for a potter."
Her sculptural work may be inspired by occurrences in her life. Her grouping Still Life - Torn , a 2011
John Fries Prize finalist, came about as an emotional response to her after-birth complication during
which she lost a lot of blood. It was a cathartic process, throwing cylinders, crying, hitting and tearing
the pots while still weak from the physical trauma. By contrast, as a new mother and living on the
NSW Central Coast, Mother and Child and similar groupings made the following year are delicate and
expressive studies in curved volumes occupying space. Now living with a toddler, her recent works are
vessels stitched with red, yellow and orange thread and brightly coloured cheerful brushwork poppy
designs.
Keiko's ultimate ambition is to exhibit in Japan. While remaining true to her own vision, she regards it
as "a good test for me how Japanese regard my work" .
42 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS APRil 20t4