Memorial to Makoto Yabe

Marjorie Javan (20th Century)
2006
Stoneware
24 x 43 x 46 in.
2007.05

This sculpture, dedicated to Makoto Yabe (1947-2005), was inspired by the prehistoric stone circles of the late Jōmon period in Japan (1500-1000 BCE).

Artist Marjorie Javan studied with Yabe in the Ceramics Program at Harvard and created this sculpture as a memorial shortly after his death in 2005. Yabe, a Japanese-American ceramicist, created both traditional and contemporary forms that pushed the boundaries of the medium. This stoneware sculpture celebrates his work with the center stone representing Yabe’s spirit, casting its long shadow over the many students, colleagues, and art community members whose lives he touched.

Javan was a sculptor and printmaker affiliated with the Boston Printmakers.  Her work includes dynamic, organic forms in both printmaking and sculpture.