Jun Kaneko came to the United States in 1963, ultimately settling in Omaha, Nebraska in 1986. In 1990, he established his studio. An installation of three of Kaneko’s large Heads, similar to this Head, were individually displayed on Park Avenue in Manhattan In 2008. Peter Voulkos, Kaneko’s professor at the University of California at Berkeley and an influential artist in his own right, described Kaneko’s work: “His accomplishments are unrivaled in the field of ceramic art. His technical achievements alone have redefined the possibilities the medium has to offer.” He then goes on to say, “Kaneko’s ceramic works are an amazing synthesis of painting and sculpture. His works are enigmatic and elusive, simultaneously restrained and powerful, Eastern and Western, static and alive, intellectual and playful, technical and innovative.” This figurative head sculpture, measuring over 8 feet tall, engages in a silent conversation. Venerated on a pedestal, it recalls, yet abstracts Buddhist iconography.

Additional works by this artist can be seen on display at the Sarasota Herald Tribune building on Main Street in downtown Sarasota January 8 through May 30, 2014.