Shizue Imai is a sculptor working in NYC. Originally from Japan, she moved to the United States in 1989 to pursue her passionate dream of living in the world of art. Although she remains deeply rooted in the ceramic tradition of her native land, she has grasped the boldness and freedom of her adopted country with all her heart. This intense passion inspires her to balance sensitivity to delicate natural surface with her brave embrace of modern innovation. Ms Imai’s deft handling of organic form coupled with her iconoclastic approach brings forth work of unusual sophistication.

Her work has a mystical presence. Shizue Imai creates illusion through the most concrete of forms. Her sculptures are modern talismans, abstract and functional, richly textured yet somehow illusionistic. She is modern woman working in a historical medium, a singular artist transforming ceramic design today. The depth and breath of her work is truly a testament to her mastery of ceramic art.

All her work is individually hand made and each piece is unique. She formulates innovative clay and glazes for each new project, and is always experimenting, searching new paths towards unforeseen destination. She uses “caveating sgraffito”, sculpting with layers of liquid clays, of color to create subtle painterly surface. The resulting images always manage to harmonize yet surprise, seeming both inevitable yet avant-guard.