Akio Nukaga’s work explores the possibilities of how he leaves a trace of himself in clay. In this piece, he stamps patterns into the soft, wet clay before it is fired—a nod to Japanese techniques called “inamun” and “mishimade”. The form of the vessel—inspired by ancient earthenware—appears textured and soft after stamping. After the first firing and before the second, he finishes the vessel by applying different colored slips (liquid clay)—a technique that he has refined over the last 30 years. This piece will go on sale as part of Group 2 on Wednesday July 27, 2022, at 12pm PDT.