Based in Osaka, contemporary artist Shingu Sayaka (b. 1979)’s serene studio is framed with a natural garden, with the bustling city just beyond.
Her workspace is meticulously organized to accommodate the precision of her technique. In her "Calyx" series, Sayaka hand-builds delicate sheets of clay, intricately carving rosette-like patterns with a scalpel. She then highlights each incision with black slip, creating complex, textured surfaces that have become a hallmark of her distinctive style.
Shingu's ceramic tools on her workspace table.
Shingu often takes walks in nature, finding inspiration in subtle details around her. She collects fallen leaves and petals, and insect wings, often sketching moths and butterflies that catch her eye. Her "Calyx" ceramic series are a dreamlike amalgamation of these overlooked delicate wonders, celebrating the small, ephemeral details that are often missed in the rush of daily life.
Shingu's "Calyx" water jar, as shown in her duo exhibition at Dai Ichi Arts in October 2024.
She describes about her walks: “Lately, the winter lakes, which reflect everything like mirrors, have captured my attention. The way wilted lotus leaves droop over the water creates a great image in my mind—I found that motif so intriguing.” She adds, “I’m drawn to the stillness of water in winter, like a kagami (mirror), reflecting the inside of the wilted lotus leaf with such clarity.”
Works in progress on a shelf in Shingu Sayaka's studio.
Completed work, Lotus No. 50 by Shingu, as shown in her duo exhibition at Dai Ichi Arts in October 2024.
Sayaka’s work is deeply informed by emotion and her reflections on art’s relationship with religion. “I’m find it very interesting how religion has influenced art over time. The Pietà in Italian painting, for example, is incredibly beautiful to me.” In art history, a Pietà refers to an archetypal painting of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ—a symbol of mourning that evokes pietà (compassion) and highlights the fragility of the human experience.
Rather than simply replicating nature, Sayaka captures its emotional essence. In her work, she doesn’t create a sculptural "photocopy" of a fallen flower, but translates the emotional resonance it evokes, transforming natural forms into deeply expressive, tactile art.
Shingu Sayaka’s large-scale ceramic sculptures of cut flowers are meticulously crafted from mixed clay, slip, and glaze. Using intricate hand-building and glazing techniques, her work embodies a profound sense of care and restraint. These sculptures evoke a dual sense of impermanence: while the ceramic medium itself is inherently fragile and delicate, the flowers she creates remain forever in full bloom, capturing an everlasting vitality that real blossoms cannot sustain.
Shingu's small flower sculptures inspired by Tsubaki, or Japanese camellia flowers on a windowsill in her studio.
Shingu's large scale sculpture "Erosion"
In Shingu Sayaka's practice, emotion, memory, nature, and craft converge to create beautiful ceramic sculptures. We warmly welcome you to browse her artworks digitally here, or read the exhibition catalog of her 2024 duo exhibition at our gallery here.
Contact us for more information about the artist or her work.
