Koji Shiraya visualizes the harmony of nature’s beauty and man’s use of it in his minimalistic works. In a series called Trinary, all the white pieces are made up of the three materials; Silica(SiO2), Alumina(Al2O3), and Lime(CaO), that are the main components in the earth’s crust. Each piece was mixed at different rates of the three and was fired at 1280°C. These three materials account for the great majority of the earth’s crust, and in combination, under controlled heat, they create a wide range of diverse expressions from solid to fluid, although the melting points of all three are far higher than 1280°C.
Koji considers those pieces of chemical changes as an epitome of the earth. Their various characteristics by the three fundamental materials are what happens on the earth in its long history, naturally and essentially. At the same time, it indicates that the rest of the components which total only 20% of the earth’s crust and organic matters in the earth make the world colorful His intention is to offer a place of contemplation, bringing nature closer to us, and magnifying detail of its reality.
Koji Shiraya was born in Hyogo, Japan in 1980 and currently lives and based in Hyogo Japan. In 2010, Shiraya received M.F.A in Ceramics and Glass from Royal College of Arts, UK. He won several awards and grants such as the 150th Anniversary of Japan-Denmark diplomatic relations scholarship (2017) and The Open West Curators Award (2015). His works have been exhibited in galleries across Europe and Asia.