> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.catapult-platform.art/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Being visible feels like playing a game I never really wanted to join by Eri Maeda - URL: https://www.catapult-platform.art/eri-maeda/ - Published: 2025-12-01T13:21:13.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-19T11:24:23.000Z - Description: Eri Maeda on clay, visibility and staying honest on social media. A weekly Catapult series where artists share how they navigate the online world. - Author: Dominique Catherina Foertig - Tags: Interview ## Eri Maeda on clay, algorithms, and not simplifying her story for the scroll [**Eri Maeda** ](https://www.erimaeda-art.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafq780exEK%5FHTh5wX2YItstdGrcw3AB9mt2UWK5AgGJl6xy-hFkH1TVnnsLAA%5Faem%5Fioql6jmU%5FWuMIF3FByRjfw&ref=catapult-platform.art)works in clay the way some people write diaries, slowly, privately, one shape at a time. > When care turns sharp, Maeda’s ceramic beauty tools stop obeying. They bite back with humor, vulnerability, and a quiet kind of resistance Born in Aichi and now based in Paris, she builds surreal stoneware objects that borrow the language of beauty tools, then twist it until something honest appears. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/eri-maeda--art-.jpg) ****Eri Maeda** in her 2025 installation Beauty Saloon, part of the group show “Is there a room for game?” at ****Galerie Porte B.** Stoneware sculptures from her Lipstick Monsters and powder compact series surround the artist. Photo by Charlotte Delafond @\_ilfram. Lipsticks stretch into creatures, combs become tender threats, mirrors turn into portals that look back at you. Her sculptures sit between charm and discomfort, asking what we carry in our bodies and why we refuse to name it. This edition of [**Catapult - Artist & Media**](https://www.catapult-platform.art/tag/social-media-for-artist/) looks at her newest series, where the familiar surfaces of daily grooming become small stages for vulnerability, shame, and quiet humor. ![Artist Eri Maeda resting her face beside a tall red ceramic creature with sculpted fingers on top, highlighting her surreal hand built approach to contemporary ceramics.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gAcJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcd140ab5-75ce-4884-8886-9c7655851a21_1080x1350.heic "Portrait of artist Eri Maeda with her face resting beside a tall, glossy red ceramic sculpture shaped like a surreal claw. The work blurs lines between body, tool, and protection.") ****Eri Maeda** beside one of her red ceramic creatures, a hand built sculpture that merges the playful and the uncanny. The artist often photographs herself with these forms to reveal their emotional charge. Image courtesy of the artist. The pieces feel playful at first glance, then heavier the longer you stay with them. They echo the pressure of appearance, the intimacy of self maintenance, and the stories we hide behind soft colors and perfect glaze. **But how does she handle being seen online?** ## Where slow ceramic rituals meet the restless logic of online visibility: ### **1\. What does “being visible” mean to you as an artist today?** **Do you see social media as a tool, a burden, a stage – or something else entirely?** Being visible feels like playing a game I never really wanted to join. Instagram has become my portfolio. I’m not good at one of the most important skills for an artist: NETWORKING. ![Colorful ceramic Monster Mirror by Eri Maeda with layered blue, red, yellow forms surrounding a central mirror that reflects the photographer holding a camera. Contemporary ceramic art, 2025.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn_0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1062f2f7-0a2d-4914-93c4-b0a66e05dc46_1080x1440.heic "Eri Maeda’s 2025 artwork Monster Mirror, made of ceramic and mirror, merging reflective surface with monstrous ceramic forms to challenge beauty standards and self-perception.") ****Eri Maeda**, Monster Mirror, 2025\. Ceramic and mirror. A hand built wall piece where layered color and sharp contours frame the viewer in an uneasy reflection. Image courtesy of the artist. It drains me so much that I often need to rest the next day. At openings, I just show my Instagram. The first few posts already tell the story of what I make. It is a casual way of saying, “Here I am, please give me an opportunity.” ![Artist Eri Maeda shaping a ceramic piece in her studio, wearing a black shirt and working at a long table with unfinished stoneware forms.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/eri-maeda-ceramic-artist.jpg) ****Eri Maeda** working in her studio, shaping one of her hand built ceramic pieces. The artist often describes her sculptures as creatures that shift from expressions of frustration to quiet protectors. Photo by @y\_himama0918 But being visible also means I am visible. I often want to hide behind work. My work and my story are inseparable, but attention to my sculptures always ends up being attention to me as well. The clay becomes me; the ceramic creature is me. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/eri-maeda-in-her-studio.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/new-ceramic-artists-now.jpg) ****Eri Maeda** shaping a new ceramic creature in her studio, working the clay by hand and carving its layered surface. Photo by @y\_himama0918 I have so much to say about why I make what I make, from memories of childhood to cultural tensions and social issues, but social media pushes me to simplify, shorten, and perform. People rarely read, reels are rewarded, and posts with my face, especially if I show more skin, do better than images of the work alone. The rules keep changing, but I keep playing, and I am so tired. To navigate this, I diversify how I communicate. Instagram acts as my portfolio, showing my work in a casual, approachable way. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/cearmic-art-today.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/new-faces-in-contemporary-ceramics.jpg) ****Eri Maeda**, Orchid Monster, 2025\. Ceramic. A hand built sculptural creature with petal like forms and sharp yellow details, part of the artist’s ongoing series exploring beauty, tension, and emotional disguise. Image courtesy of the artist. On Threads, I share my life as a Japanese artist in Paris. On [**Substack**](https://erimaeda.substack.com/), I write deeper reflections, telling my story and explaining why I make what I make. [“I forgot what I was saying” By Eri Maeda | SubstackShort reflections from a Japanese artist living in Paris. Click to read “I forgot what I was saying” By Eri Maeda, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F8f007ed6-4841-44e7-aab3-66c1bf597309-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180.png)"I forgot what I was saying" By Eri MaedaEri Maeda![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Ferimaeda.substack.com-2Ftwitter-2Fsubscribe-card.jpg%3Fv%3D857460844%26version%3D9)](https://erimaeda.substack.com/) Eri Maeda - Substack Each platform lets me show different layers of my work and myself without forcing everything into one format. ![Eri Maeda leaning on a mirror ledge, reflected beside her ceramic beauty tool sculptures including Monster Comb and lipstick forms. Soft morning light, dress by Cecilie Bahnsen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/eri-maeda.jpg) ****Eri Maeda** reflected in a mirror beside several of her ceramic beauty tool sculptures, including Monster Comb and oversized lipstick forms from a past presentation at Sato Gallery. Dress by Cecilie Bahnsen. Image courtesy of the artist. But still. Being visible still feels like playing a game I never really wanted to join. ### **2\. How do you balance the slow rhythm of your ceramic practice with the “always on” logic of media?** When I am working with clay, my hands are covered in it, and I cannot really touch my phone. It is hard to film myself or do live sessions because I need to focus fully on the work. This constant expectation to be online and visible makes me feel anxious and restless. ![Ceramic Hair Clip Monster by Eri Maeda, a large sculptural hair clip with pastel layers and sharp yellow claw like teeth, displayed on a white plinth. Contemporary ceramic sculpture, 2025.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q3gt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F448e4d04-f44a-4caf-94f6-2493a91fa2cf_1080x1440.heic) ****Eri Maeda**, Hair Clip Monster, 2025\. Ceramic. A hand built creature shaped like an oversized hair clip, with layered pastel details and sharp yellow teeth like forms. Part of Maeda’s ongoing exploration of beauty tools as emotional objects. Image courtesy of the artistt Ceramics is a slow medium. A piece can take two months to complete. Social media, however, expects instant results, which I cannot provide. While I am making work, the fast pace of social media makes me feel like I am not doing anything at all, simply because I am not posting new pieces every day. --- ### **3\. If your online presence disappeared tomorrow would your work survive the same way?** I love this question! If my online presence disappeared tomorrow, my work would still exist, but I would need to plan my seasons carefully, dedicating time to creating, connecting, and showing. During the creation season, I use all my energy to make work. During the connecting season, I focus entirely on networking. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/eri-maeda-ceramics.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/catapult-munchies-art-club.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/eri-maeda-artist-2.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/artists-and-social-media.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/cermaic-artists-now.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1c/24/1c2478ff-417d-4e88-8226-288af467f6b9/content/images/2025/12/social-media-for-artists.jpg) Studio shelf view with ****Eri Maeda’s ceramic pieces**, including finished works, fragments, tests, and works in progress. Lipstick forms, Monster Comb elements, mirror components, and new sculptural parts share the same space in her Paris atelier. Image courtesy of the artist Eventually, this leads to opportunities to showcase my work.Writing this makes me realize that maybe I could structure my practice this way even while social media exists. This question makes me reflect ; maybe I have sometimes been relying on online visibility as a shortcut and whether I am just being a little lazy. ***Team Munchies Art Club say Thank you to Eri Maeda for the insights and let us showcasing her work*** --- ### About the Artist Eri Maeda’s sculptures are made slowly, by hand, often over weeks. They’re not declarations, they’re tensions held in form: fragile, precise, and personal. Some look like tools. Some feel like memories. None of them ask for attention, but all of them hold it. *You can explore more of her work on* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/erimaeda.art/?ref=catapult-platform.art)*, her* [*website*](https://www.erimaeda-art.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafq780exEK%5FHTh5wX2YItstdGrcw3AB9mt2UWK5AgGJl6xy-hFkH1TVnnsLAA%5Faem%5Fioql6jmU%5FWuMIF3FByRjfw&ref=catapult-platform.art) *or read her longform reflections on* [*Substack*](https://erimaeda.substack.com/)*.* ![Artist Eri Maeda standing outside Laforet Harajuku holding a ceramic sculpture, surrounded by passersby during Art Week Tokyo 2024. Contemporary art in a busy urban fashion setting.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eLWo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3535103e-a371-4272-bdd9-ada896cdf439_1080x1350.heic "Artist Eri Maeda stands in the center of Laforet Harajuku during Art Week Tokyo 2024, holding a bold ceramic sculpture. She wears a patterned dress, surrounded by passersby in a busy urban scene blending art, fashion, and everyday life.") ****Eri Maeda** presenting one of her ceramic sculptures outside ****Laforet Harajuku** during Art Week Tokyo 2024\. The location is a major crossroads of fashion, art, and youth culture, making this appearance an important moment in the artist’s practice. Image courtesy of the artist. --- ## **Want to be part of Artist & Media?** **Eri Maeda** was one of the first to share her experience with honesty, fatigue, and without playing the game. If you’re an artist and want to explore your own relationship to visibility, drop your work or your thoughts in the comments so we can discover you there --- [****Work with us as an artist**](https://www.catapult-platform.art/ask-kurt-a-curatorial-global-network-project/) **or** [****Gallery**](https://www.catapult-platform.art/beyond-the-bubble-together/) **We work with a limited number of artists and galleries each season. Selected collaborations are paid and curated.* **More information here.* [Collaborate with us ](https://www.catapult-platform.art/ask-kurt-a-curatorial-global-network-project/) --- ## No fluff. No hype. Just good art and honest perspectives. Every Tuesday and Saturday. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. [**Privacy Policy* ](https://www.catapult-platform.art/privacy-policy/)and[ *Terms of Use*](https://www.catapult-platform.art/untitled/) --- ## New On Catapult: [Why Doesn’t Art Get an ’80s Fashion Meltdown Moment?Art has had its own terrible eras, only hidden under taste, history and debate. 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