Katsuyo Aoki
This round porcelain crest is a combination of Aoki's interest in the line between the sacred and the profane and her own ability to reproduce some of the most recognizeable aspects of the rococo style by hand in porcelain, at an unrivaled level of skill. In a sense, cobalt underpainting on the ceramic tiles centered within the crest is a vanitas painting that builds upon the associations of and surrounding the human skull, a recurring motif in Aoki's work. By introducing such a level of detail and eighteenth century drama into a contemporary context, especially on so monumental a scale, Aoki gives us a much-needed glimpse into the spaces between the sinister and beautiful.
