Skip to Main Content
Advertisement
Advertisement

Browse our favourite pieces from the new collection

This August, Toronto’s Mjölk gallery proudly presents the second solo exhibition of Shigaraki-based potter Yoji Yamada, an artist renowned for his mastery in wood-fired ceramics. This new collection is a testament to Yamada’s deep connection with his craft and the natural elements he harnesses to create his work.

Vase
Vase

Jug 10. Yoji Yamada.

The exhibition showcases an array of ceramics that highlight Yamada’s unique approach to pottery. Each piece in the collection is characterized by beautifully textured finishes that evoke the raw, organic essence of the materials used. The surfaces of these ceramics are marked by the unpredictable yet mesmerizing patterns that emerge from the wood-firing process, where flames and ash interact with the clay, leaving behind a distinct, tactile narrative on each item.

Adding to the allure of these pieces is Yamada’s use of spontaneous linework, a technique that infuses each ceramic with a sense of movement and life. These lines, sometimes bold and sometimes subtle, seem to dance across the surfaces, offering a dynamic contrast to the rugged textures beneath.

Yoji Yamada vase
Yoji Yamada vase

Vase 60. Yoji Yamada.

Yoji Yamada’s work is a celebration of the imperfections and surprises that come from working with natural materials and traditional techniques. Beyond all else, his new exhibition at the Junction decor shop is not just a display of craftsmanship but a poetic exploration of the relationship between the artist, the environment, and the medium itself.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Okay, but it clearly is

For the first 16 years of my life, the bat cave at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)—a reconstruction of an actual cave in Jamaica—was among my favourite places in the city. The cave was decorated with cast stalactites and wax bat models, which hung from the ceiling and threw jagged shadows on the walls. A few other features imbued it with spooky verisimilitude: the drip-drip-drip sound effects, the mirrors arranged to create the illusion of infinite depth, the strobe lights strategically placed to make the shadows flutter. When I visited as a five-year-old, the bat cave scared me. When I visited as a stoned fifteen-year-old, it scared me even more. Then came the renovation.

Advertisement

Newsletter

Your Weekly Dose of Modern Design

Sign up for the Designlines weekly newsletter to keep up with the latest design news, trends and inspiring projects from across Toronto. Join our community and never miss a beat!

Please fill out your email address.

The Magazine

Get the Latest Issue

From a sprawling family home in Oakville to a coastal-inspired retreat north of the city, we present spaces created by architects and interior designers that redefine the contemporary.

Designlines 2024 Issue