Basara: the beauty of excess

Aaron Scythe: Basara: the beauty of excess features new ceramic works by the New Zealand artist who spent over 17 years developing his practice in Japan under master ceramicist Ryoji Koie. Central to the exhibition is Scythe's contemporary use of the Yobitisugi (borrowed-patches) technique, in which mismatched porcelain and stoneware shards are patched together to create tessellated surfaces. His meticulous draftsmanship layers traditional Japanese and Māori motifs with contemporary imagery, embodying the medieval Japanese aesthetic of Basara—one of excess, flamboyance, and defiance of convention. The works express Scythe's evolution toward celebrating imperfection and the beauty found in accidental mistakes.