SHIMAUCHI Mika focuses on producing and presenting her drawings and sculptures while shedding light on the questions about our over-rationalized society.

At times, her sculptures take on the full spectrum of unintended imperfections that occur during the firing of the kiln, showing the effects of gravity, the quality of the natural soil and the unreliability of the shapes. Whilst the works exist within the limitations of the laws of physics, such as gravity and firing, they exist to highlight the contradictions of our own ability, or lack thereof, to fit in an overly streamlined society.

Shimauchi’s interests in fire will guide her research, concentrating on the properties which uplift people, their beliefs about fire, and build towards an exhibition of her findings as creations born throughout the duration of her stay. In collaboration with other enthusiasts, Shimauchi will participate in “bonfire firing,” or an open-air kiln, in order to create pieces with new processes based around the feeling and culture of fire.
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Residency｜Beginning of June – mid of September, 2021
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“When I see a world full of smooth and slick ready-made items, it makes me want to keep my hands dirty. I reach for my iPhone with clay lingering on my hands.”
Shimauchi Mika