Works on Paper

From his earliest artistic explorations, drawing has served as an important aspect of Jun Kaneko’s creative process, providing a method for him to investigate compositional complexities, chromatic rhythm, and the balance of structure and dynamism. As Susan Peterson explains in her 2001 volume on the artist, “Drawing has always been a way for Kaneko to investigate, to find a new direction in terms of creativity. The drawing process involves a completely different creative rhythm within the artist’s mind, presenting a challenge to the way he thinks and makes things — one that is almost impossible to find in the ceramic process.” Whereas the ceramic process requires many months of building, drying, and firing, drawing and painting offer a greater opportunity for improvisation. According to Kaneko, “Ceramic materials have certain rules and rhythms involved in creating a piece. It is impossible to build up ten feet of clay one day and glaze and fire the next. It does not allow the kind of continuous rhythm and freedom of making that drawing affords. This is the difference I enjoy when I draw.”