I created a special series of ceramic pieces in collaboration with Tomoo Kanō, a ceramic artist from Shokoku Kiln, a long-established Kiyomizu ware studio in Kyoto.
Developed for my solo exhibition in the UK, the series takes “Tea Party” as its theme, reinterpreting the Western tea set through the forms and techniques of traditional Japanese tableware.Each piece is one of a kind. The deep blue of the gosu underglaze evokes the iconic shade of British royal blue, and the five vessel types feature motifs centered around the color blue: “Blue Bird,” “Night Sky,” “Blue Ocean,” “Blue Flowers,” and “Blue Sky.”By bringing together the mastery of a traditional craftsman and the free sensibility of an artist, the pieces transcend the notion of everyday tableware and emerge as distinctive art objects that enrich the table. Through the harmony of Japanese and Western aesthetics, tradition and contemporary expression, and functionality and artistry, the series conveys both the depth of Japanese ceramic culture and the timeless beauty of the color blue.