Introduction of artisans: Menu ----------------------------- Introduction ----------------------------- Introduction "Clothing" Kyo yuzen silk dyeing / Masahiro Ikeuchi Nishijin textile / Takahisa Tamura Kyo yuzen silk dyeing / Ryotaro Hika Kyo Yuzen silk dyeing / Tomoko Fujii Flower arrangement / Michihisa Watanabe ----------------------------- Introduction "Eating and Drinking" Japanese dishes / Takeshi Shinmura Rice / Takashi Hashimoto Sake / Yoshihiro Higashino ----------------------------- Introduction "Living" Synthetic resin / Shigemi Inari Kiyomizu-ware / Hirokazu Kato Woodblock printing / Yuko Harada Jidaigire / Taro Matsumura Folding fans / Takahito Mizukami

To produce Kiyomizu-ware pottery, we first blend various clay materials and knead the clay until it acquires the desired hardness. To shape the clay, we use various methods: hand building, molding, forming on a potter's wheel etc. Next, we carve the work pieces while they are half dry. After fully drying the work pieces, we biscuit-fire them. Following this process, to the biscuit-fired pieces we apply the glaze we have prepared ourselves and load the pieces in the kiln for reduction firing at 1,240 degrees Celsius.
The finished works are delivered to exhibition venues, galleries, department stores and ceramic shops. We also tailor ceramic works to individual customer requirements. The wheeling process entails precise operation, on the order of millimeters. Glazing also requires advanced skills to fine-tune the glaze concentration and maintain uniform thickness. To ensure accuracy, I once used a measuring device, only to find that my own intuition was much more reliable. When I desire a specific glaze thickness, my own intuition is far more useful than measuring devices. It is difficult to explain how this works, but I can say that to develop such intuition, we must learn from mistakes, as it is said: Every failure is a stepping-stone to success. When we succeed, we seldom learn, but from failure we can learn a lot.

Since Kiyomizu-ware production is my family business, it was natural for me to enter my present profession.

I believe that my works represent myself. Customer demands constantly change along with social trends, but simply changing pottery techniques does not result in new and original works. To change the essence of my works, I must change myself. To change myself, I must first determine the direction in which I hope to change myself, and the type of influence that I want to receive, in order to enable change in that direction.
I believe that by selling ceramic works, we can benefit retailers, customers and ourselves as producers. So I must create ceramic works that will sell-- or in other words, that will be purchased by customers. I am always considering what I can do and what I should do in order to create products that will be purchased. Knowing customer demand is particularly essential. On the other hand, if I produce a work by compromising my own creative aspiration in order to meet customer demand, such a work will never sell. In the production process I often change designs. By altering various details, sometimes I find myself being fascinated by the work I am producing. Such work might sell. But work that I do not like myself will never sell.
I also believe it essential to create a work that gives viewers a sense of perfection. There are many types of ceramists: talented young ceramists, non-professional creators and professional potters. Regardless of such differences in types of ceramists, all ceramic works should have optimal balance. A certain work, for instance, gives a very dynamic impression but has one small part that is too ' rigid.' Unfortunately, such imbalance gives a negative impression. All ceramists whose works sell well are good at maintaining optimal balance in their works.

Since my childhood, I have created pottery, so I learned how to handle ceramic ware firsthand. For instance, I learned that biscuit-fired work pieces are very fragile, so I should not hold them by the edge. I also learned that I must dry my hands before grabbing a workpiece, because if I grab it with wet hands, it often slips. Such lessons are essential for producing ceramic works. I developed my sensitivity toward the risks of breaking workpieces through childhood experience.
When I was little, I was often scolded by my father. So naturally I became accustomed to paying keen attention not to drop or break work pieces.

Whenever I had questions, I always asked instructors and my colleagues at ceramist training school and the ceramic test center. I seldom asked my father about techniques. I also request comments on my works from art critics and tea masters who use my works. When I want advice, I always state my own view first, then ask for suggestions. In most cases, however, I find that I can learn only through trial and error. In ceramic production, rather than listening to others' suggestions, the best way to learn is to do and discover.

One time when I was having an exhibition at a gallery in a hotel, one customer changed his business schedule in order to stay at that hotel the night before the exhibition opened. He came to the exhibition right after opening time and purchased many products. He told me that at my previous exhibition, held at the same gallery two years before, he had dropped in shortly before closing time and purchased one small item, and ever since then had been awaiting my next exhibition. To my letter of thanks, he gave me a long reply in which he expressed how much he had been looking forward to my exhibition, and how happy he was to obtain my works. The letter was so impressive that I was unable to read it without tears.

I hope to continue my creative activities and my quest for ideal ceramic forms as long as possible. Throughout my life, I hope to continue producing and selling my works. Regarding of the future of the Kiyomizu-ware industry, I strongly believe that individual ceramists must carry out their creative activities independently. Yet at the same time, we must combine our efforts and exert our power as a team when we introduce our works outside Kyoto. To that end, I believe that we must develop a loose network, that helps ceramists promote their works extensively. I am confident that the Kyoto-based ceramic industry produces the world's highest quality ceramic works. To achieve evaluation equivalent to the quality, however, we must work more vigorously in disseminating information.