Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay features a collection of mesmerizing ceramic sculptures by the Japanese contemporary artist Shinichi Sawada, now open at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis through February 9, 2025.
Presented in collaboration with the Mint Museum, the exhibition is the first traveling solo exhibition in the United States for Sawada and showcases a captivating collection of his mesmerizing clay figures created over the past decade. The sculptures are a fusion of various creatures, combining features from mammals, fish, birds, insects, as the artist’s own fantastical creations. These intricate works of art often boast multiple faces, an abundance of eyes, and intricate patterns of incised lines, bumps, horns, and scales.
Agents of Clay is accompanied by a catalog co-edited by the exhibition curators, Lisa Melandri of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and Jen Sudal Edwards of the Mint Museum Randolph. It includes a text by the curator and writer, Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy.