Sake cup (guinomi) c. early 21th century

This is a sake cup, or guinomi, by Koie Ryōji, made with clay and glaze. The way he’s handled this small vessel reminds me that art is a process, not just an end result. Look at the contrast between the slick, glossy black and the rough, almost violently applied white. It’s like a conversation between control and chance. There’s a splattery energy to it, right? Now, run your eyes over the surface, imagine touching it. You can almost feel the grit of the clay, the smoothness of the glazed areas. See that little nugget of silver nestled in the white? It’s like a surprise, a tiny rebellion against the functionality of the cup. It disrupts the flow, demands attention. Ryōji’s work often played with the idea of destruction and creation, and you can see echoes of that in the work of Lucio Fontana, who slashed canvases to open up new dimensions. This cup isn’t just a container; it's a statement about art’s ability to embrace imperfection.