The current show in the Third Floor Gallery in the Holden Fine Arts Building is a collection of ceramic pieces by Kiyoto Sagawa, a graduate student from Japan.

The first thing you want to do is touch these pieces; to manipulate the clay the way Mr. Sagawa did. Each piece is a celebration of texture and detail, drawing you in for a closer look. When asked about it, Sagawa said, “Before I came to the US, I used to make practical functional pottery, and focused on making exact same sides of cups, plates and bowls. But I noticed that I needed to change my style to go to the next level, so I focused on making asymmetric body form which had a lot of movement and texture.”

The movement of Nature is a source of inspiration for Sagawa, the flow of a river or the wind in the trees. His people are “ordinary people who live with nature on the earth.” There are three pieces showing the heads of people on long flowing vertical pieces, representing the relationship between people and Nature. The faces are beautiful, with shining eyes.

If you look closely, you can find a tiny stamp on many of the works. “I designed the stamp as my signature; my name was written on it," Sagawa said. "I love my name, meaning of clear and pure in Japanese, and it is really important for me to show who I am. So I take the stamp into my art works because my works describe all about me.”

Please go see these works before the end of the week. You will be delighted.