Exhibition at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft this coming January!

I'm very excited to announce that I will be part of an exhibition "Drawn to the Work: Illustration and Craft Conversation" at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in January among side of talented Aurélie Guillaume and Chenlu Hou!!! I will be presenting 14 new ceramic sculptures, 2D illustration works, and zine/books. Will be out there in February for the artist talk and the workshop! If you know anyone in Houston TX please let them know!!!

More news to come:) (Photo by: Xi Nan)

https://www.crafthouston.org/exhibition/drawn-to-the-work-illustration-and-craft-in-conversation/

https://www.crafthouston.org/events/artist-talk-with-aya-kakeda/

Winter shows and winter little spirits!

Hello and hope you are having a nice week.
I have been running around and a bit busy these days, I made these winter spirits who are having a tea. Just looking at them relax me a little. haha.

They are created for show at Clutter Magazine Gallery for their gift wrapped show in Dec and also for Winter salon IX at Stranger factory Gallery show also in Dec. I will put the information below.
They are all hand made and one of a kind ceramic sculpture.

Exhibition “Winter Salon IX” at Stranger Factory Gallery
December 6th – December 29th, 2019
Opening Reception with the artists: Friday, December 6th from 6-9 PM
Winter Salon finishes the year with a bang! Our annual group show is an end of year celebration and features new works from many of our favorite artists from around the globe. This year’s talented line up promises to provide a variety of enticing alternatives for the upcoming gift-giving season including original illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and plush!

This year’s participating artists include: Alex Eckman-Lawn, Allison Bamcat, Horrible Adorables, Ally Burke, Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters, Andy Sciazko, Angela Oster, Anna Tillett, Aya Kakeda, Bling Squared, Bruce Parker, Caitlin McCarthy, Caitlin McCormack, Calan Ree, Chris Haas, Christin Apodaca, Defective Pudding, droolwool (pictured above), Ivonne Garcia, Jen Musatto, Jeremy Cross, Joe Scarano, Johnpaul Gutierrez, Karl Deuble, Katherine Walsh, Kelly Denato, Mary Siring, Michelle Lynch, Nana Williams, Nora Thompson, Pantovola, Sandi Ray Pierce, Stan Manoukian, Stephan Webb, Sugar Fueled, Uncanny Creatures, Vanessa Ramirez, Weston Brownlee, Yetis and Friends, and more!

https://www.strangerfactory.com/

Clutter Magazine Gallery “Gift Wrapped”

Gift Wrapped is a special holiday season (not holiday-themed) art exhibition designed to encourage people to buy unique, hand-made, artist-driven gifts for the holidays. The show features a mixture of 2D, 3D, wall hanging and standing pieces, in all genres of the designer toy and contemporary art world.

Artist Include:

Absurdery • Ally Burke • American Gross • Aya Kakeda • BackCountry • Bakkun • Bert S. Gatchalian • Big C • Bleeding Edges • BogXSquad • Brad 'Monster Ego • BrainButterCreative • Brent Nolasco • Burning Monster • Charles V. Bennett • Chima Group • Coven of Cuteness • Cristina Ravenna • Czee1 • Dan Sculpts • Darktownsally • Dead Beat City • Deadhand Toys • Don't Cry In The Mornin • Double Parlour • DROLDN • Droolwool • Ears & Dears • Eimi Takano • El Hooligan • Erica Borghstijn • Ezard • Feathered Fox • FER MG • Fernanda Fierro • Figure Fettish • Flawtoys • Frank Mysterio • freshtoast • Gaijin • Ghost Fox Toys • Grizlli Atom • Grumble Toy • HARIKEN • Hatch Comic • HungryGhost • Infinite Rabbits • Javier Jiménez • Jay Stelling • Jay222 • Jaykblu • JeAA • Jeff Lamm • Jellykoe • Johnny Draco • Jyelloween • Katie Gamb • kEda •  Kelly Denato • Kendra's Customs • Klav • Kyle Kirwan • Little Lazies • Lou Pimentel • M Victoria Robado • Magitarius • Marina • Mark Nagata / Max Toy Co • Melissa Sue Stanley • Mike Regan • Miscreation Toys • MJ Hsu • Mr Mars Studios • Mr.Mitote • MuffinMan • Mumbot • Mus Musculus • Muxxi • Naomi Knaff • Nick Nightmare • Nympheas Dolls • Obscure • One Eyed Girl • Pickled Circus • Rampage Toys • Rato Kim • RunDMB • Sad Salesman • SaoZen • Secret Demon Services • Seed Arts • Simon Says Macy • Slime Archetype • Stacia Murphy • Steve Chanks • Stitch of Whimsy • Tasha Zimich • The 3D Hero • The Art of Moses Jaen • The Beast Peddler • The Bots • The Menagerie MacLeod  • Tim Clarke • Tokyo Jesus • TwelveDot • TwistyBitz • Uhhsure Monsters • Under Our Knives • Venetta Butcher • Vincent Scala • Zard Apuya • Zieromuko & More.

https://shop.cluttermagazine.com/gallery

On my desk TODAY

I’ve been making some ceramic pieces for Christmas shows.

These were inspired by one of my inktober drawing!

They are cozy winter spirits, little teacup will be on their head after I bisque and glaze them. Now patiently waiting for them to dry!

Children Museum Show

Hello!
I'm having a show at the Children Museum of Manhattan called "Fruit Robber and His Collections"
There will be some paintings and sculptures
This exhibition is conjunction with their "Hello from Japan!" Exhibition
February 2nd to May 8th
Address:
Children Museum of Manhattan
The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street
New York, NY 10024

I will have a character making workshop in March sometimes at the museum, I will let you know the detail soon!

Dec 9 + 10 Renegade Crafts Fair --- booth #53

Hello!  I will be at Renegade Craft Fair with my ceramic works this weekend. If you are in Brooklyn, please stop by!

Dec 9+10 11am-6pm
Renegade Craft Fair Booth #53
Industry City Factory Floor
274 36th St, Brooklyn

Also if you are not in NY area I just opened the web store, too.
http://www.ayakakeda.com/store/

Getting cold out, stay warm and have a nice winter day!

Working toward the online ceramic shop!

Hello!
Past few months I've been developing small objects and ceramic products for my new online ceramic store. (which I'm planning on launching in mid Nov or early Dec)
I wanted to share some photos from my studio as a sneak preview ;)
Have a nice Fall Day!
 

Solo Exhibition Oct 8th Brooklyn NY!

Hello everyone!
I'm having a solo exhibition opening next week!
Hope you can come to the opening reception.
This is the first time showing mostly my ceramic work in NY.
I have been very lucky finding very good ceramic studios to work in NY, the series I will show this time are mostly the work I made at Brick House Ceramic Art Center in LIC.  (And I will have some work from Greenwich House Pottery)  It was a challenging to get use to new clay and glaze but with many people's help at Brick House, I was able to complete this series which I'm very happy with. Very big thank you to Brick House. 

I hope you can come and see the show!

AYA KAKEDA
Solo exhibition "Miotsukushi"
Oct 8th - Nov 4th
Opening Reception : Oct 8th 6-8PM
at AG Gallery Brooklyn
310 Grand Street Brooklyn, NY 11211
 

Microchan goes to Midnight Jungle!

It's Jungle time! Microchan Bus is going to the fancy midnight jungle party this winter. Beautiful hand made work by Obitsu factory in Tokyo. Thank you for the great producer Tomenosuke Shoten.This is a limited edition of 30 as the last three, you can purchase this at →http://www.tomenosuke.com/AYA_YA/ Microbus: To The Midnight Jungle Sale on November 27th 9:00pm JST

New Microbus "To the Kaiju Planet" released today!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!Today is a release day for the third edition of the Microbus series! This one is called "To the Kaiju Planet" and it glows in dark!!! If you are interested here is Tomenosuke's web store---> https://tomenosuke.stores.jp/#!/items/54d6bf042b3492ef4d002d75

Tomenosuke owner Shinji sent me these photos at Japanese Shrine. Love all the color matching!

Let's go to the Yeti Mountain!

Micro-chan and her friends went to the snowy mountain to meet her Yeti friend to spend their holidays together :) I heard they are having a good time. Now after the neon pink Micro bus, now new color electric blue "Let's Go To The Yeti Mountain" is on sale!!!!  Small edition on 30 from Tomenosuke store. ----->Here

And here is a big news! If you get the first Three microbus editions (neon pink, electric blue, and Glow in the dark) you can win my original painting which is featured on the header cards!!!

3Days till the New Years!  Hope you will have a great New Year's eve and Happy 2015!!!

Microbus is Finally here!

Hello!I'm so happy to announce Micro Bus is finally out! The first edition is an electric pink "To Mystic Mushroom Forest" and it's small edition of 30! Now you can pre-order at https://tomenosuke.stores.jp/#!/items/545c0d42ef337794740015f4

Five little character on top of the car comes off and they are finger puppets :)

Micro-chan Attack Montpellier Vernissage Tomorrow Night!

Hello!!!Tomorrow is the opening for Microchan Attack Exhibition in Montpellier, France! Come come if you are in the area. We produced special edition prints for this event. Edition of 45.

jeudi 19.06.2014, de 18-22h* VERNISSAGE au Galerie DAS 25 rue Hippolyte 34 000 Montpellier *visites jusqu'au 26.06.2014 sur rdv contact @ celiahannes.net

Opening Vernissage Tomorrow Night!

Hello!!!I hope you are having a great summer. Tomorrow at Usagi Paris Gallery my exhibition AU HASARD DE MON BAZAR is opening. There will be upstairs little gallery and downstairs in a secret cave. Come and meet my creatures and find out many secrets in this mystical cave! The show run till early July.

"AU HASARD DE MON BAZAR" d'Aya Kakeda du 13 Juin au 2 Juillet 2014 Vernissage le vendredi 13 Juin à partir de 19h30 Usagi Paris:32 rue Saint Roch, 75001 Paris, France usagiparis.com

MOCCA Art Festival FUN! Thank You!

Thank you for coming by my table last weekend, it was great to see many familiar faces and also meeting some amazing new people/artists. This was my first MOCCA, I have been doing other festivals past years but I truly think MOCCA is very special!  I think Society of Illustrators did a great job putting together, thank you SI and volunteer team!I didn't have much time walking around to take some photos but here are some that I have and some of my studiomates photos!

Charlie Brown!!! Mascot of MOCCA, he will be part of the Macy's easter parade this year. I was happy that our studio's booth was right below!!! (Photo by Diana Di Nazzo)   Here is my booth! Our studio had 4 tables this year. Close ups of my booth. Lots of small books and sculptures this year not to forget Zombi cat Cookies!!!

Here are our whole 4 table run down :-)  (All the photos are by Joel Alter) Everyone had super successful MOCCA!!!

Here are some visitors photos! I wish I took more :-( Cutest visitors were those 4 ladies!!! FIT Master program had it's own table this year!  (I wish I took photos of that but here is a photo of a proud students who were selling out on their books! Good job :-))Met One of my favorite artist Ciou finally after we were in a same show 10 years ago! We exchanged the books like soccer player exchange their uniform!!! ;-)

Thank YOUUUUUU for the great experience! It was a happy weekend for me.

p.s. Here is a photo from our studio after party. We have done it! YEY!

MOCCA FESTIVAL this weekend!

Hello!This weekend is MOCCA Art Festival in NYC. I have a table selling new books, prints, surprise sculpture boxes, and cat&dog cookies! Please come and visit! You can see the direction and more info about the festival here---> click

Here is some sneak preview! Double thank you for Kimiko and Fumiha for helping me bake!!!!!

Nap time YEA!

Little sneak preview for a tiny book and tiny sculpture I'm working on now. "Nap time! what do you want to sleep on little cats and dogs???" "On this Miss,  Nap time YEAAAA!" Sketches and tiny clay shapes Painting tiny faces with gouache Working on the drawing part of the book My cat use to do this impossible pose!

For Carrot Salad???

Mama rabbit dish with little dancing rabbits inside.I made this while ago and I'm thinking of using it soon. But what should I put inside? Carrot Salad? Mac&Cheese???

Don't cry for Miss.Q

Hello from ceramic studio.This past 3 months were the hardest ceramic making for me. I was making a sculpture call Miss.Q for about a month then sadly Miss.Q broke in the kiln... Then my friend told me Miss.Q could sound like Miscue (= mistake)... I think I cursed this broken Miss from the beginning! Then out of the sadness of the loss of Miss. Q, this piece "She fell down and cry some more" came along... It's still before the bisque fire and glaze... so let's hope this crying lady will come out fine. I'm hoping for the happy happy ceramic days for 2014!!!

Come to the students+faculty show at FIT!

Dreams Lived, Dreams Shattered: MLK, JFK 50 years later Curated by Melanie Reim Work of MFA Illustration Students and Faculty November 9 - Dec 7, 2013 Opening reception on Nov 19th 6-8pm at Gallery FIT Seventh Avenue at 27 Street New York City 10001-5992

Students and faculty of the MFA in Illustration program at FIT visually reflect on the 50th anniversary of two seminal events in American History. http://www.fitnyc.edu

I have small sculpture piece in the show. Hope to see you at the opening!

Ceramic friends

some ceramic friends are coming out from Kiln. I have still so much to learn but slowly I'm getting use to the process.Ceramic is such a surprising medium, especially the glazing process. I would never know how it will come out which is very suspenseful.

New Lamp Shade ( Ceradon finished, I was debating on having it just white but I wanted to try out Ceradon to make it to have a summer water feeling.) Small salt dishes Microchan Torso vase + Cave seal with beret hat box Microchan Sculpture! planning on putting air-plants inside.