During the spring months, Jun Kaneko and his assistants have been constructing six-foot and eleven-foot Dangos using his distinctive hand-building technique with large stoneware slabs. After each sculpture is assembled and refined, it must dry for several months before firing can begin. Every piece undergoes an initial firing, followed by the application of surface decoration and patterns, and then a second firing—resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind work of art.
Kaneko created his first Dangos in 1983, naming them after the Japanese word for “round shape.” These early works were produced using an industrial kiln in Omaha, Nebraska, provided by the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. The original hand-built monoliths stood six feet tall and weighed approximately five and a half tons.