Some resemble knobbly tree roots, others are covered in holes of irregular shapes and sizes, while others are revealed through mesh to be hollow, yet all these ceramic pieces are known by their creator Kodera Yoshikazu as “bakudan” or bombs. The protrusions are perhaps tangible expressions of exploding energy. Boasting a glossy sheen belying their name, Kodera’s works have an organic texture that conjures up imaginings of unknown sea creatures. Kodera apparently started making his “Bomb” series after being extremely shocked to learn of the existence of bombs by chance from news footage, a story that recalls how pioneering disabled artist Yamashita Kiyoshi overlaid memories of the war on beautiful fireworks.

Moving to an assisted living facility in his twenties, Kodera began making pottery mugs and other ceramic items for sale. However quite separately from these products, he also turned out his own unique “works,” which began to attract favorable comment at exhibitions. Staff at the facility were impressed by the sight of Kodera devotedly working with clay day after day, and thanks to their support, for the past fifteen years he has been able to do so in surroundings that allow him to concentrate on his personal creative practice. The sight of this artist even now using any clay he can get his hands on to make works suggests, in his case, a direct connection between making things, and being alive.

Kodera participated in the annual Inochi no Geijutsu Fleur exhibition organized by the NPO Fleur in Aichi between 1999 and 2008. In 2015 and 2016, he won the Nagoya City Welfare Association Chairman’s Award at the open-call Fureai Art Exhibition (2008‒), hosted by the Aichi Association for Supporting Mentally Retarded Persons, and the Grand Prize in 2017. His works have repeatedly received honorable mentions at the Aichi Art Brut exhibitions (2014‒).

Selected Works & Awards

2018

Fureai Art Exhibition, Aichi, Japan, Grand Prize

2017, 2016

Fureai Art Exhibition, Aichi, Japan, Nagoya City Welfare Associationʼs Chairman Award

2014－

Aichi Art Brut Superior Works exhibition, Japan

2008－

Fureai Art Exhibition, Aichi, Japan

1999－2008

Inochi no Geijutsu Fleur (Art of Life Fleur), Aichi, Japan

Exhibition

• Installation view at Aichi Triennale 2022
• Bomb, 2011-2022
• Photo: ToLoLo studio