French-Beninese artist King Houndekpinkou, known simply as KING, has been working with ceramics for almost ten years.
His work is at the confluence of his Beninese origins and the rigour of Japanese ceramics. Discovering the centuries-old tradition of bizen-yaki enabled the artist to build a bridge between the spiritual and ceremonial approach of Japanese ceramics and the sacred practice of Beninese vodun. Since 2012, the artist has returned to Bizen every year, continuing to follow the teachings of master potters, in particular those of Toshiaki Shibuta, her ‘earth father’. This artistic ‘training’ also took place in Benin, as part of his residency at the Lobozounkpa Arts and Cultures Centre in Abomey.
King Houndekpinkou's artistic vision, the fruit of this crossroads of influences, remains as original as ever. His creations, all one-off pieces, shaped on the potter's wheel and by hand, showcase organic and vegetal forms in exuberant colour.