"Eclipse 19" by Michael Gustavson, Raku Ceramic Sculpture on Marble Base, Sage Orange and Blue-Grey Glaze, Contemporary California Art, Vibrant Colors

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A large, open form with a calm, expansive presence. The front is composed of soft sage, warm orange, yellow, red, … Read more A large, open form with a calm, expansive presence. The front is composed of soft sage, warm orange, yellow, red, crackled white, and deep blue-grey in broad, flowing sections. Two black circular voids introduce a sense of mystery and depth within the composition. The reverse carries deep textured teal with areas of crackled burgundy and white. The sculpture rests on a veined marble base, enhancing its grounded, contemplative character. It works beautifully on a side table, a bookshelf, a console, or a low plinth in a living room or study, where its intimate scale and rich surface reward close, unhurried looking.

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