Nests Inspire Yuko Nishikawa to Create Courtship Behavior Ceramic Series

The inspiration for Courtship Behavior, a ceramic series by Yuko Nishikawa, came from someplace far from her New York studio. Eastern Australia to be exact. It’s there that the satin bowerbird hoards blue objects to build into a nest to entice prospective mates. Watching the birds construct their structures with such deliberate care led the artist to reflect on the things people collect, the nests we build. The result is chandeliers, pendant fixtures, and table lamps—each hand-formed of stoneware clay and unique—that evoke the organic, irregular forms of nature. The matte glaze comes in various colors including, of course, bright blue.