"Change of Mind" by Michael Gustavson, Raku Ceramic Vessel, Sandy Crackle Ground With Navy Teal and Red Glaze, Contemporary California Art

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Wide and low, the form spreads outward with a generous, rounded presence. A sandy, crackled ground covers much of the … Read more Wide and low, the form spreads outward with a generous, rounded presence. A sandy, crackled ground covers much of the body, with bold arcing sections of red, deep navy, teal, and warm yellow moving across it in clean planes. Small circular forms appear at intervals, part of Gustavson's distinctive visual language. The two sides read differently from each other, one warmer and more open, the other cooler and more contained, making it a piece that rewards walking around it. It sits beautifully on a coffee table, a low shelf, or a plinth in a corner where both sides can be appreciated.

Michael Gustavson is a California-based ceramic artist who builds upon the traditional Japanese process of raku, reimagining it through a distinctly contemporary and highly personal methodology. His work bridges free-form organic sculpture and painterly abstraction, distinguished by unusually vivid, luminous color rarely achieved in ceramic sculpture. Central to his practice is a firing approach developed and refined over decades, introducing pine needles at lower temperatures to create a reduction atmosphere while pieces remain inside the kiln. This highly individual studio-developed method allows him to work at significant scale and achieve exceptional chromatic depth and painterly nuance. Describing himself as a painter-sculptor, he treats each form as a three-dimensional canvas built through layered glazes, textures, and color interactions. Inspired by Miro, Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Pollock, his surfaces often feature controlled dripping and expressive movement, translating the energy of abstract painting into fired clay. Gustavson earned his MFA from San Jose State University in 1980. His work is held in major public and private collections worldwide, including IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Seagate, Cranbrook Museum, Eastman Kodak, the Bel-Air Hotel, ANA Hotel Tokyo, and private collectors including Goldie Hawn and Dr. Linus Pauling. See less