Joni Moriyama (M.F.A., Alfred University, 1994) maintains a studio practice in Toronto and is also now teaching at the Ontario College of Art and Design.  Her ceramics are held in the public collections at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, Waterloo, the Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred, and the Claridge Collection, Montréal.  We are pleased to present her first solo exhibition at Prime Gallery.

Since her residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2001, Joni has been working on a series of natural forms that are either large single pod-like forms or are double biomorphic forms that may contain an inner companion shape.  These forms tend to have symmetry not unrelated to our bodies, and are scaled to fit within the human range of holding or carrying these artifacts.  Her work has an evocative familiarity to it as if it might come from our known world, but we are not sure as it is somehow otherworldly.  There are conflicting subliminal memories embedded in her forms that the viewer will sort out as they relate Joni's intentions to their needs and experiences.

The glazes and textures are wonderfully tactile on the voluptuous ceramic forms.  Evocative of ethnographic artwork, fecund fruits or ancient boats, her work inevitably invites the touch as so often happens when the eye needs the hand to have a complete experience with the work.  Joni Moriyama has created a strong cohesive grouping of enigmatic objects that will tempt and enchant.