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”. Akio hand built the dual neck on this piece, making them like playful animal ears. 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 1 on Tuesday July 26, 2022, at 9am PDT.