Toshifumi Tashiro
“To create pots solely for the sake of food and ingredients” is the concept of ToshifumiTashiro’s designs. He aims to design pottery without imposing a strong statement on the piecesthemselves, focusing instead on their purpose. He uses Mashiko soil, but depending on theproduct, combines other soils to adjust the texture and properties of the clay. To prevent hispieces from looking austere due to the simplicity of their form, he adopts original finishingtechniques to bring out their character. The texture of the clay also adds a rich earthy feel.
Toshifumi Tashiro was born in Miyazaki Prefecture in 1979. He studied pottery at Nara College ofArts and under Seiichi Imanari in Mashiko. His tableware is used in restaurants such as OtowaRestaurant and Hotel Epinard Nasu. He regularly exhibits in Japan.
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Takeshi Adachi
Adachi views pottery as a timeless, evolving craft, like wooden buildings that grow stronger andmore beautiful with use. He encourages his customers to use his pieces daily, allowing them todevelop their own character over time. Each piece is unique, shaped not only by its creation butby the care of its owner.
Born in Kasugai, Aichi, in 1983, Adachi studied Imaging Arts and Sciences at Musashino ArtUniversity in Tokyo. It was during his studies that he began his journey with pottery and film,eventually leaving university to establish his first studio in Seto in 2007. Today, Adachi holdsexhibitions, workshops, and events to showcase the depth of pottery’s beauty, and leads anartist collective that bridges the past and future of the craft.
His tableware is featured in renowned hotels and restaurants in Japan and abroad, includingthe prestigious JR Kyushu cruise train, Seven Stars, and is favoured by chefs of creativeJapanese cuisine.
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Kazuhiro Kudo
Kazuhiko Kudo is a distinguished pottery artist and curator based in Hokkaido, Japan, where hebecame the first ceramicist to establish himself in the region. Trained by the renowned KiyokoKoyama in the Shigaraki tradition, Kudo developed his distinctive techniques and style afterrelocating to Hokkaido, drawn to the unique clay that could be found there.
While Japan is rich in diverse clays, Hokkaido is not typically associated with ceramics, and itslocal clay presents its own set of difficulties. Undeterred, Kudo pushed the boundaries ofexperimentation, creating a remarkable range of colour variations, surface textures, andcaptivating crackle effects that have become his trademark.
In 2003, Kudo was honoured with the Kurihara Harumi Grand Prize for his Yellow-Slip FlatKatakuchi Bowl, a testament to his creative vision and skill in working with the region’s uniquematerials.
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Koichi Ohara
Ohara Koichi uses his own blend of sand, potting soil and glaze to create a variety of forms. Hispottery stands out for its earthy textured surfaces that with the addition of water becomeglossy and sleek. Like a river, water flows and stops upon the surface of his pots, giving abeautiful, organic effect. More so than the shape, it’s the texture and the feel of the piece thatare important to the potter who draws inspiration from the natural and understated, like wheatin a field.
The colour of a pot depends on the temperature, the mineral content of the clay and itsinteraction with the fire. The results can be enchantingly unpredictable, a fact that isencouraged by the artist who deliberately leaves glazing powder coarse instead of usingcommercial powder that is uniformly crushed, adding further variability to the final results.
Born in 1974 in Tokyo, Ohara studied Physics at Meisei University before pursuing a career inceramics. He has learnt from the pottery cultures of Thailand and Korea and Tokonome inJapan, a city renowned for its pottery production. He exhibits internationally and has workedwith multidisciplinary artists Camille Henrot and Theaster Gates.
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