Born of Fire – Julia Nema on the inspiration of Japanese wood-fired ceramics

Organized by: The Japan Foundation, Toronto

The initial clash of ceramic artist Julia Nema’s predominantly Constructivist and Bauhaus background with the immediacy, naked materiality and natural imperfection of Japanese aesthetics led her to embark on a long adventure in search of parallel values bridging distant traditions and processes.

In this talk, Prof. Nema will offer both theoretical and practical insights into how she has worked for years to translate the inspiration found in Japanese yakishime ceramics through her own artistic thinking and creation. She will make reference to the rich material on show in the current gallery exhibition Yakishime: Earth Metamorphosis, as well as her own artworks, products and findings from her book Fired up High: Approaches to Wood-fired Ceramics.

Following the talk, Prof. Nema will participate in a discussion on her work and inspiration with Toronto-based ceramic artists Chari Cohen and Chiho Tokita.

About the speaker:

Julia Nema is a ceramic artist, designer and painter based in Budapest, Hungary. Her studio is the only ceramic workshop in Hungary using a high-temperature, wood-fired kiln for production. She creates mainly tableware, architectural and fine art works, and has received numerous commissions from exclusive restaurants for bespoke tableware. She has been awarded the Ferenczy Noemi Award and the Hungarian Design Award. She has been featured in international publications related to ceramics, including F. Olsen’s The Kiln Book (2011), and is author of the first and only book on wood-fired ceramics to be published in Hungary. She holds a PhD in Liberal Arts from Moholy–Nagy University of Art and Design. Julia Nema’s works have been exhibited across Europe, as well as in Japan and the United States.

For more information about Japan Foundation, Toronto event reservation and admittance policies please have a look at our Event FAQ page.