Max Estrella is pleased to present the recent work of Hisae Ikenaga (Mexico, 1977). Under the title 'In Between / Entremedias, this is the artist’s second solo show at the gallery. In this exhibition, Ikenaga presents pieces in which she reflects on the nature of ceramics: its history, forms, presentation in museums, techniques and production processes, finishing possibilities, and utility. This follows her recent research into the recognition of the shapes and functions of an object.
Hisae Ikenaga’s work employs a recurring strategy of transforming recognizable objects from our everyday lives. Her work invites viewers to observe details of familiar objects presented in unexpected ways, generating a sense of strangeness and awakening doubt about whether we truly know something we thought we understood. The viewer finds themselves in an intermediary space between knowledge and ignorance, navigating between the rational and the sensory.
The exhibition features works such as ‘Flor de alcachofa (Artichoke Flower)’ and ‘Columna Roja (Red Column)’, ceramic sculptures where we immediately recognize traditional vase shapes, while it becomes clear that the ceramics are cut in half. Throughout human history, according to archaeological findings, remnants of ancient ceramic vessels have been discovered, all fundamentally serving the same purpose: containing liquids. The shapes of these vessels are largely dictated by the characteristics of their contents for better preservation (utilitarian) or better presentation (decorative). The original use of ceramics is to contain, and precisely it is this property that is stripped away. Deprived of their primary function, the ceramics become sculptures of fragments, serving no other purpose than to be objects of study—isolated members for observation, completely detached from their origins and history.
The deviation from their functionality is symbolized by a clean, vertical cut through their form. This cutting technique is common in workshops as it provides the potter with an immediate view of the uniformity of the edges and surfaces of each piece. However, in this case, the result is an inventory of forms, stacked within one another, reminiscent of cross-sectional diagrams and endowed with an organic character. This dialogue between the organic and the industrial is precisely the origin of the Industrial-Visceral series, in which ceramic elements interfere with glass containers, metal structures, and shelves to create a kind of inert system. Ikenaga confronts the idea of industry and rationality against the notion of viscera, the place where primary emotions strike us.
Ikenaga often works with everyday objects that she alters to give different meanings and uses. She has explored various series: confronting industrial and artisanal production processes, humanizing objects, using “global” items and examining potential genetic anomalies in mass-produced objects. In her recent work, she shows an interest in representing the production of tubular metal furniture to reflect the boundary between design and art as everyday objects. Irony and absurdity always play a key role in her work.
Hisae Ikenaga (Mexico, 1977) graduated from the National School of Painting, Sculpture, and Printmaking in Mexico City, later expanding her studies at the Kyoto University of Art and Design. In 2003, she completed her postgraduate studies at the University of Barcelona, and in 2004, she earned a Master’s in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Plastic Arts at the Faculty of Fine Arts, UCM Madrid. She has held solo exhibitions in various venues, including Matadero (Madrid, 2011), La Casa Encendida (Madrid, 2009), and Praxis International Art (New York, 2011). Recently, she presented two solo exhibitions at Konschthal Esch (Luxembourg, 2024) and La BF15 (Lyon, 2024). She has participated in exhibitions in Germany (Kreativquartier, Munich, 2014), Mexico (Museo del Chopo, Mexico City, 2011), Hong Kong (Para/Site Art Space, 2009), the United States (Praxis Gallery, NY, 2008), and Japan (Prinz Gallery, Kyoto, 2001). She currently lives and works in Luxembourg. She has received several awards, including the First Prize at Generación 2008 from Obra Social, Caja Madrid, Spain; the award at the I Bienal Azcapotzalco; and the Foreign Studies Prize (Kyoto) awarded by CENART in 2000. Additionally, she was granted a fellowship by the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and recently completed a residency at the Pistoletto Foundation in Biella, Italy. In 2020, she was awarded the LEAP (The Luxembourg Encouragement for Artists Prize), and in 2021, she received the First Prize Art In Situ from the Luxembourg Architects’ Association at Forum da Vinci.