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HANCOCK, MI –Ceramic sculptures by Marquette artist Brian Kakas will be on display at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock, from June 8 to July 21, 2017.
An opening reception at the gallery will take place on Thursday, June 8, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. with an artist talk beginning at 7:15 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Applying the methodologies of art, architecture, science and technology to ceramic design, Kakas seeks to create a “new nature” in the structural design of ceramic objects. Poetic forms with a mathematical foundation; Brian Kakas’ ceramic sculptures reference structural architectural design and mathematical theories including systems of growth, pattern and dimension. Combined with Kakas’ interest in cultural identity, history, and space, his sculptures embody the constantly evolving world we live in, shedding light on the relationships between tradition and the modern identities rapidly evolving around the world.
“It is my intent to find a natural form by staying true to the chosen material and its inherent properties,” notes Kakas. “I seek a formal vocabulary that allows sculptural vessels to exhibit the qualities of unique handcrafted objects of traditional cultures, along with those of contemporary mass-produced objects. Synergism, and patterns and structures–of animals, plants and insects– have strong influence over the forms created.”
Kakas’ innovative construction process contributes to contemporary ceramic arts by expanding its historic formal vocabulary. “My goal is to engage viewers while creating conversations that include a multitude of disciplines, in an effort to seek out new questions and answers relating to contemporary time and space,” says Kakas.
Kakas is currently an Associate Professor of Ceramics at Northern Michigan University. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana and his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana.
His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally including exhibits in Indonesia, Romania, China and South Korea. He actively gives workshops on soda kiln design and building and modular plaster mold making techniques.
His work is in collections both nationally and internationally including the Ceramics Associata in Cluj, Romania, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, Romania, the Great China Museum in Jingdezhen, China, the World Ceramic Exposition Center in Icheon, Korea and the Archie Bray Foundation Center for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana. .
“Brian Kakas: Pensive Intonations” will be on display through July 21, 2017.
