Naoko Tagai

Japan-born multidisciplinary artist Naoko Tagai works with a diverse variety of media including glass, ceramic sculpture, photography, drawing, painting, and printmaking. The work she produces reflects her enduring interest and fascination with moments in nature. Naoko has a deep curiosity about time, and the apparent paradox where, by its very nature, time passes fleetingly, yet contained within each and every moment is everything. In any given moment, the past, present and future are united; so too are decay and regeneration, the natural and the constructed. She shares, “In this series of work, inspired by the flower, I decided to explore the potential of porcelain to create a form of sculpture – an imaginary plant that seeks to express the overwhelming energy and power of nature to prevail in the world, despite the odds. The hard sharp spikes in the work point towards this strength and resilience. The pressing of soft clay into the palms of my hands to create each individual petal and its spikes is, for me, a meditation, a time for reflection and, ultimately, an opportunity to give life. Evolving over time, the project takes on its own momentum, as I simply guide the process. I wanted to capture the vitality and life force which all plants naturally exhibit – something, indeed, we can learn much from, both as a species and as individual people.” Naoko is currently based in Deptford, London.

See more from Naoko at naokotagai.com