Interviews

Before starting a career in ceramics, you studied Biology. In relation to your line of work, how would you characterize the relationship between Biology and Ceramics? I believe my study of biology helped create the artist I am today: one that works by questioning what surrounds me, and by creating objects based on observation in a very systematic manner. Artists,...

You are in this field for more than ten years now. Tell us how you discovered the passion for ceramics. My passion for ceramics came rather late. Having been born and raised on a farm in Northwest Missouri, far away from big city influences, exposure to the arts was minimal. Art classes in my small-town school were non-existent past grade...

When and how did you discover the passion for ceramics? Growing up, I was always the artsy-craftsy one, making things out of all different kinds of materials, using lots of different techniques. I loved going to my Dad’s office in New York City where they produced display products/props used in retail store windows and interior displays. To me, it was...

Text and pattern are seen everywhere in your works; they make a fantastic rhythm and enhance the forms. When did you start to use text on your works? My current style using text started years ago when I was making mixed media sculptures that were mostly clay integrating text. I gave myself the challenge to make something esthetically pleasing. What...

You’ve been working with ceramics for over twenty years now. Do you remember your first works? How did you evolve in time? It has been just over 20 years since I started in the field of ceramics. I remember my first works very well I know at every point in my career I strived to produce the best possible work...

You are one of the most assiduous ceramic artists in the world, with hundreds of exhibitions over more than thirty years. Why did you choose this career path? If by career path you mean, “why did I choose to be an artist?” I was one of those guys who always knew that they wanted to be an artist. I honestly...

You’re a very prolific artist, with lots of exhibitions, lectures and workshops being held in the last years. How do you find the time needed for all of this? Do you also teach? Thank you for the considering me prolific, that is an adjective that has been used before to describe not only the breadth and quantity of what I...

You are a very creative artist, working with large scale installations, ceramic objects, sculptures, vessels and various drawings. When do you have time to transpose all your emotions and ideas into them? Thank you. I obsess about ideas. My methodology for making, for creating, has me developing many works at the same time, not just in the beginning phases, the...

You are a very consequent artist, having worked with ceramics all your career. Why did you embark on this journey? I was born in Faenza; I studied in Faenza at the “Ballardini” Art Institute, and I have been teaching at this same school for over 30 years. It has just been so natural to work with this material in this...

Not many people know that lacquer is used to make art pieces. Can you tell us more about this material and how do you use it? The Urushi tree (Rhus Vernicifera) is a member of the sumac family of trees, found in various parts of Asia. The trees produce the sap which has been used as the coating and the...

You were among the first contemporary Japanese artists to combine ceramics and glass when constructing a new work. How did you start to connect these materials? I wanted to to extract the ingredients from the glaze and embed them into the clay. For example, I tried to use fragments of smashed glass bottles, feldspar, silica stone and beach sand in...

From functional, to decorative or aesthetical, your works also vary in techniques and materials. Tell us about your woolen felt creations. I am drawn to the painterly and sculptural characteristics of felt making with its broad capabilities as a “hard textile” but which also lends itself to soft, sensual body wraps.  I like the challenge of completing a work that...

What was the starting point for your investigation with ceramics? Do you remember your early works? When I was a student of Theology at the Doshisha University, I also belonged to the ceramic club. I was just absorbed to make something with clay in the club’s room. I worked for some textile company for two years after the graduation, and I...

You are a very young and talented artist. What was your first experience with art and with lacquer?I wasn’t exposed to the arts that much and didn’t know about Japanese lacquer work very well until I entered the art collage. I was interested in design and woodwork working and wanted to make the furniture for our daily life when I...

You are about to start working as artist in residence at the Harvard Ceramic Studio. What do you hope you’ll learn from this experience?I am very interested in the different perspectives on craft art, especially Ceramics between US and Japan. I feel that the vessels are more appreciated in Japan rather than US, as well as the ceramic art itself....

Constructing your figurative pieces with such delicacy takes a lot of time. Can you tell us more about the process? What materials do you use?I make the prototypes with regular clay and make plaster casts of them. Then I pour the plaster, modify those plaster masters very carefully and create second plaster casts. Then I pour the slip into them...

In your career as a ceramic artist, you took the challenge of using white porcelain in constructing complex geometrical systems. Tell us more about the motifs of your work.I want to make people feel the passage of time over my pieces. When people see the remains of a culture or decayed buildings, they evoke special emotions. I want to express...

Your works are exquisite and embrace all the qualities of elegance and rhythm. Can you explain the constructing process? Do you work alone, do you have a studio?I was very fortunate to have learned Jewelry design at Central School of Art and design in London, England where their focus was on teaching to follow the theme of one’s interest, explore...

When did you start working with textiles? I started making purses in 1970 and had my first solo exhibition in a gallery in 1983.Do you remember how much you asked for the first bag you created to be sold? It was about JPY 12000 (=$150). That purchase made me confident and gave me the power to go forward.More than 30 years ago,...

You are a very young and talented ceramic artist. Can you tell us what was your first experience with ceramics? Thank you, but I’m not that young actually. I studied art in school, liked it very much but never considered it as a possible career. After many years training and working in various environmental management roles, I began to realise...