SHIMIZU SHIRO is a third generation artist in a family with an illustrious history in Kyoto ceramics. His grandfather, Shimizu Uichi, was internationally recognized for his bold, innovative forms and glazing and in 1985 was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government for his distinctive contributions to modern Japanese ceramic culture. However, the manner in which Shimizu Shiro employs clay--and glaze in particular--is far from the center of tradition. His irregular abstract sculptural forms are essentially colorful glazes and melted glass encased in long, thin porcelain tubes. Yet the process is complex and time consuming, requiring careful attention through two firings. He rolls Japanese paper into narrow tubes, groups them and soaks them in porcelain slip. After they are dried, the papers burn away in a bisque firing. The groups of tubes are then placed in a large clay container with a substantial amount of glaze. After these are fired he breaks away the container, exposing the completed sculptural forms. He continues to deconstruct these forms until he reveals the vitreous colors inside, sometimes ending with a large form, sometimes with a small form that fits in the palm of the hand. Shimizu has been working in this manner since he was a college student and has concentrated almost exclusively on this work since graduating from the Ceramic Department of Kyoto Seika Art University in 2002. He feels that these irregular forms with stripped away surfaces that reveal surprisingly beautiful interiors reflects something of his personal philosophy, which is also reflected in the title of a recent exhibition, The Truth Inside Emotion.