Kelly Akashi: Encounters

Following her recent survey show at the Frye Art Museum, Kelly Akashi’s new work takes ceramics to literally astronomical heights. Long obsessed with geological time and the role played by Earth and the elements, the internationally acclaimed artist collaborated with the University of Washington’s Ceramic and Metal Arts Department to fashion objects that combine clay, glass, video and steel into large-scale installations purporting to map the universe. As humans – and museum visitors – we are put in our place by her ambitious and engagingly intimidating works.