Among the pottery existing in Japan today, my pottery has received a great revelation from following three kinds of pottery. The giant jars and yamachawan(wild bowl without glazed) made in Tokoname during the 12th century, and Idochawan tea bowl descended from Korea in the 16th century.
These potteries are made through production methods which are simple, mindless, and rather artistically primitive. To the extent which the techniques are simple, the creatorʼs feelings are transmitted as directly into the pottery.
As for the giant jar, it has a swelling of being about to burst from the inside out. I can feel the creatorʼs large-hearted spirit. The bodies of the yamachawan and the ido chawan stretch out with a speed as through as to burst from the bottom out towards the edge. The inside of the bowls are deep and wide. From them I feel the creatorʼs incredible skill and strong willpower. Above all these pots possess unwavering skill, purity, and truth.
Thery are sitting behind glass cases in museums today as examples of pottery which continues to exist as art.
I live in the pottery town of Mashiko. I use local materials for making just daily use pottery. I throw on a kickwheel which is easier for me to transfer my strong wish to the clay. I fire in a climbing kiln and downdraft wood firing kiln which can give me much more exciting results than I expect through not all of the time.
I enjoy conversing with above potters from the past through my daily work because it connects me with them. They are always telling me “your skill still have a way to go”. Yet I reply to them, "may be so but I am the same as you in my sprit to be assimilated with clay and kiln all the time". All that remains for me is just to keep kicking the wheel everyday.
Let's enjoy with composure ! with clay and with kiln.
