Takatsu, based in Mizunami City, Gifu Prefecture, has been creating works that evoke a sense of dialogue between the artwork and its environment. At first glance, the soft, flowing lines of her sculptures, reminiscent of the inner contents of seashells. They are sensuous and resemble the form of a woman’s body, sparking the imagination of the viewer. Having been familiar with ceramics since childhood, Takatsu specialized in sculpture during her university studies. Although she initially resisted creating pottery based on the plasticity of clay and the changes brought about by firing, she confronted the materiality and gradually developed a unique artistic style full of life force. When Takatsu was a graduate student, she saw photographs of works by Peter Voulkos, in which clay sculptures were transformed into cast metal pieces. This made her reflect on the 'meaning of working with ceramics' and she came to realize that she had consciously chosen to pursue the plasticity of clay and the changes that occur during firing. Takatsu envisions creating works that, similar to plants growing, convey a sense of life at an environmental and genetic level through the act of shaping them with her hands.
Yamaguchi, based in Miyoshi City, Aichi Prefecture, creates works by layering thin folds of clay one by one on a base pot. Through this process, she presents forms that humans have shaped to resemble nature, inviting the viewer to engage with these forms and feel their essence. Her works, with their overlapping folds and rough, earthy surfaces, challenge the viewer to question whether the piece is a natural or artificial object. Yamaguchi enjoys observing forms in nature that have been intricately and densely packed, similar to those created naturally, such as beehives or plant seeds. The folds are not mere decoration, but essential elements of the form, like body hair, which must be present for the work to be complete. Yamaguchi gradually came to see the act of adding folds as similar to applying makeup or choosing an outfit, and understood these as elements layered that constituted her as a person, and is a key part of her artistic identity.