Syotatsu & Kansai Noguchi

Mendes Wood DM is pleased to present Syotatsu & Kansai Noguchi at our gallery’s Germantown space. The exhibition brings together ceramic traditions with earth-based painting practices, exploring how two artists recast traditional practices through divergent material approaches. 

Kansai Noguchi was born in Fukuoka in 1982 and established his Tokyo studio in 2016. Originally pursuing music in New York, Noguchi’s encounter with Isamu Noguchi’s work at The Noguchi Museum in New York prompted a decisive shift toward ceramics. His vessels engage with Japanese approaches, ancient Greek forms, and Jomon pottery traditions. Drawing from Japan’s oldest pottery heritage – spanning over 10,000 years – Noguchi incorporates classical Mediterranean proportions while developing experimental glazing techniques. Each piece challenges the boundaries of ceramic expression, revealing new possibilities within this ancient medium. 

Tatsuya Kawai, working under the name Syotatsu, was born in 1982 in Wakayama, Japan. Following formal training at Kyoto University of the Arts, he encountered portraiture at nineteen on Kyoto’s streets, where he encountered a multitude of passersby and other subjects who sparked a metamorphosis in his approach. Returning to Wakayama, he became attuned to the rural landscape that now defines his practice. Syotatsu creates expressive paintings using soil gathered from his immediate environment, traditional Japanese ink, and natural pigments including bengala (red iron oxide), soot, and indigo, incorporating select materials such as gold powder on jute fabric and wooden panels. His work responds to the climate and spiritual qualities of the Wakayama landscape surrounding his studio. The artist’s chosen name combines Syo (smile) and Tatsu from his given name, reflecting his commitment to capturing joy in human expression.