Jun Kaneko began creating his Slabs and Ovals in the mid-1980s, when he was teaching at Cranbrook Academy of Art, and over the decades he has produced scores of them. These simple ceramic forms provide a flat medium through which he explores the dynamic interplay between pattern and space, color and surface, and the complexity of formal composition. In this sense, the Slabs and Ovals provide an opportunity for spontaneity and experimentation more typically seen in two-dimensional art. Yet, though they draw a clear parallel to his works on canvas and paper, Kaneko’s Slabs and Ovals are more than a mere surface upon which to paint in glaze. As noted by art scholar Glen R. Brown in an essay about Kaneko’s work, “they are marvels of cultivation, of the artist’s restrained interaction with the material in order to encourage it to reveal aspects of its potential.”
Untitled, Wall Slab
2009
Hand built and glazed ceramics with gold lacquer (kintsugi), 18 x 32 x 1.75 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2004
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 27 x 22 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Oval
2004
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 25 x 21 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Oval
2004
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 21.5 x 3 inches.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Slabs
2005
Hand built and glazed ceramics, approximately 74 x 21.5 x 4 inches each.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Oval
2007
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 22 x 3 inches. Collection of the Sokyo Gallery, Kyoto, Japan.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Wall Slab
2009
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22.25 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jim Grot
Untitled, Wall Slab
2008
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22.5 x 29.25 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Oval
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 26 x 3 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 22 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 22 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 29.5 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 29.25 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2011
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 29.5 x 3 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2013
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 21 x 26 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2013
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 22 x 3 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2013
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 21.75 x 3.25 inches. Collection of University of Nebraska Medical Center Healing Arts, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2013
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 21 x 3.5 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 21 x 3 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 21 x 3 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 29 x 3 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22 x 2.5 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22 x 2.5 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2014
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2015
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 29 x 2.5 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2015
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 22 x 2.75 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2015
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 22 x 2.5 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2015
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 21.75 x 2.75 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2018
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 45 x 11 x 2.75 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Wall Slab
2018
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 45 x 11 x 2.75 inches.
Photo: Colin Conces
Untitled, Oval
1982
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 25 x 19 x 2 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1987
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 23.75 x 18.75 x 3.5 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1988
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 30 x 21 x 1 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Wall Slab
1988
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 30 x 21 x 1 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Wall Slab
1989
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.25 x 22 x 3 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1989
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 21 x 28.5 x 3.75 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1989
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26.75 x 22 x 4 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1993
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 27.75 x 3 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1994
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 27 x 21 x 3.5 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1994
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 22 x 26 x 3 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1996
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 21.5 x 28 x 3 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1997
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26 x 21.5 x 2.75 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1997
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 26.25 x 22 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1998
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 21.5 x 26 x 2.5 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1988
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 19 x 29.5 x 2.5 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 17.5 x 1.25 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29.5 x 18.5 x 1.25 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 17.5 x 1.25 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 30 x 19 x 1.75 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 29 x 17.5 x 1.25 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1990
Hand built & glazed ceramics, 29 x 17.5 x 1.25 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built & glazed ceramics, approximately 17 x 29 x 1.25 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1986
Hand built & glazed ceramics with embedded metal, 19.25 x 29.25 x 3.25 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
1985
Hand built & glazed ceramics, 28 x 20 x 1.5 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1988
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 27.5 x 21.25 x 1.75 inches. Private collection.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Oval
1986
Hand built & glazed ceramics, 20.25 x 24.5 x 2.75 inches. Collection of the Ree & Jun Kaneko Foundation, Omaha, NE, USA.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Untitled, Wall Slab
2005
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 73.75 x 21.25 x 4 inches.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Untitled, Wall Slab
2005
Hand built and glazed ceramics, 73.75 x 21.25 x 4 inches.
Photo: Dirk Bakker
Jun applies glaze to a series of wall slabs in his Omaha studio.
2009
Photo: Takashi Hatakeyama
Jun applies glaze to a large wall slab in his Omaha studio.
2008
Photo: Takashi Hatakeyama
Jun glazes an Oval in his Omaha studio.
2009
Photo: Takashi Hatakeyama
Jun applies glaze to a series of wall slabs in his Omaha studio.
2009
Photo: Takashi Hatakeyama
Sketchbook with designs for five Ovals
1981
Ink and colored pencil on paper, 14 x 10.5 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Sketchbook with designs for twenty Ovals
1990
Graphite on paper, 11.25 x 8.75 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Sketchbook with designs for nine Wall Slabs
1987
Ink on paper, 11 x 8.75 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio
Sketchbook with designs for nine Wall Slabs
2017
Graphite on paper, 14 x 10.25 inches.
Photo: Jun Kaneko Studio