Keiko Matsumoto, Japanese ceramist, born 1982
Octopus Teapot 2017
Keiko Masumoto is a Japanese ceramic artist, most famous for her Kitsch Kogei collection in addition to other works. She was born in Kobe, Japan in 1986. The exceptional feature of this collection is the motif of embedding octopus sculptures into her ceramic vessels, making her vases valuable in terms of both functionality and aesthetics.
Masumoto’s surreal ceramic vessels feature blue-and-white patterns that are typical of traditional East Asian wares. But unlike traditional pieces, Masumoto adds intricate sculptures of octopus with their tentacles coiling around the vessels. Every detail is elaborately crafted, from the octopus’ bulging head and realistic eyes to its flowing tentacles and tiny suckers. The half-pottery, half-octopus ceramic wares are indeed fascinating to behold. More importantly, these unusual ceramic vessels are functional. Anyone can actually use the octopus-adorned teapot to serve hot tea. And the half-urn half-octopus can serve as an actual urn to contain mementos.