Craft / Masaru Nishikawa: The breath of animals. At Watson Arts Centre, until November 2. Reviewed by MEREDITH HINCHLIFFE.

The Canberra Potters Society has an impressive program of international artists in residence and Masaru Nishikawa has been in Canberra from the beginning of August.

From Japan, he gained his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Ceramics) from Musashino Art University in Tokyo in 1987. He lives in Kyoto, near a shrine.

This artist is one of Japan’s most renowned and exhibited ceramicists, who is known for his animal forms. He has been making for close to 40 years, inspired by real and imagined animals.

The animals – and birds – on exhibit are all highly decorative.

The animals all look as though they are enjoying life – they are generally smiling and engaging with viewers.

This pig incense burner has a lid with a tiny bird sitting on its back. The pig is smiling – perhaps at the floral surface decoration of flowers and leaves that wind up its body.

As you walk into the gallery, two large animals greet you. They are a rabbit and a horse, both highly decorated with swirls, and loops, stripes, triangles and other shapes in a riot of colours. The rabbit is 63 mm high and stands proud. Rabbits symbolise several of the good things in life: longevity, luck, prosperity, fertility and compassion. Rabbits are deeply imbedded in Japanese culture, and this is a rabbit with attitude.

This exhibition is full of life: several of the larger animals have smaller animals on their backs. They all appear to be happy and enjoying their time on exhibit. All are hand built in midfire clay.

The artist brought some of the pieces with him from Japan, and made others in Canberra.

This year the Canberra Potters Society has been celebrating its 50^th anniversary, and Canberra audiences are privileged to see the work of this artist who has come to engage in the festivities.