A leading figure in postwar Japanese contemporary sculpture, Kiyomizu Kyubei was also known as the seventh-generation Kiyomizu Rokubei, continuing a distinguished tradition of ceramic artistry.

His aluminum sculptures—featuring an irresistibly lustrous surface and seamless welds—betray almost no evidence of the artist’s hand, giving them a strikingly industrial and refined presence.

Though the defining lines and curves, as well as the sense of volume in his works, were likely explored meticulously through rigorous drafting, the finished pieces are executed with such precision and economy that they bear no visible trace of the struggle or back-and-forth often associated with artistic creation.

During his lifetime, Kiyomizu Kyubei reportedly remarked that aluminum, compared to other materials, is a “silent” medium. It is perhaps precisely because of this quietness that his works are able to integrate so naturally into architectural spaces and serve effectively as public art, resonating with a wide and diverse audience.