Please visit my website and Instagram!

As  you might have noticed I stopped blogging a while ago.

Now I have my own website to show (some of) my work and Instagram to share what I've been working on.

Please check them. Thank you!!

To go to my website click here.

To go to my Instagram click here.

farnham

Yesterday I went out to Newham to deliver some pieces to The New Ashgate Gallery for their next display. There will be another lovely mix of makers starting today! I made a new series of mugs for them.

The gallery is in the town which has strong connection with crafts and hosts annual craft festivals. Therefore despite being a small town there are quite a few places to see. Although, this was my first visit. So after the gallery, I visited to Crafts Study Centre to see the exhibition of Ladi Kwali who worked with Michael Cardew in 60s. There are some water pots that have her iconic shapes and motifs and some other shapes that I could see the exchange of skills and cultures. It made me think more of my next research trip in Japan!

昨日はロンドンから列車で1時間ほどのところにあるFarnhamという町に行きました。旅の目的はデッドラインぎりぎりの納品。でも、列車の旅も町の散策も楽しんできました。

町ではローマン時代から地元の土を使った陶器作りが始まっていたようですが、町を栄えさせたのはかなり後のこと、地元の穀物とそれを使ったビール産業のようです。なので、町は小さいながら、いろんなスタイルの素敵な建物がいくつもあり、路地裏を歩くのも楽しかったです。また波をうったようなでこぼこ屋根も小さい町ならでは。かわいい景色がたくさんありました。

町にはクラフトがらみの施設がいくつかあり、充実した小旅行になりました。

christmas 2014

Wishing you a new year, full of love, health and pots! mxxx

outing after Christmas (making) maddness!

Momosan shop, picture taken by Moritz Steiger

Phew... last week I had the last firing of this year. All the rest of Christmas orders was in it and I was very nervous if anything goes wrong. Surprisingly the result was one of the most successful ones and I was so relieved.

So this week I was running around to deliver and send them off. Also finally after 3 months of intensive making I managed to get out of the studio in Hackney and saw some nice things!

graphicsrca: fifty years. It's showing the work of their graphic design graduates since they set up the course. Some people might spot famous designers now but I couldn't tell anybody but a few friends... Instead, I found a few pieces I loved, which was one of the typography experiments. It really made me want to do more experiment in my work! The exhibition finishes soon so please don't miss it.

And Julio Le Parc at Serpentine Sackler gallery. His work might not be strikingly new nor complex but it's very enjoyable. Basically it's kinetic work using light, so movement, reflection and sound materials make is the big part of the work. For me the methodical drawings at the back was very inspiring. I should go back to drawings!

And, still (since summer) a part of the shop attached to the gallery is Momosan shop who recently moved her base from Kingsland road to our neighbourhood. The new Momosan shop is in Wilton Way and looks even greater with more exciting stuff. I love hearing her story where she's found these beautiful objects.

In the same street there is another beautiful shop J.Glinert, and farther down Violet: the cake shop. The street has become a lot prettier. 

Hope you're enjoying Chritsmas shopping rather than being stressed out!

Christmas Open 14

Hi. Hope you all have been well.

It's all crazily hectic here with loads of Christmas orders and a few more shows..! (That's why I haven't been able to blog!!)

Thanks to those who came to Made London. It was a great show and I enjoyed the whole experience so much! I will write about it some time... hopefully before the new year!!

The coming-up shows are: (Please go to the links for more information!)

Christmas show at Cavaliero Finn, on 29th-30th (Sat & Sun) 10:30am-6pm. They are one of a few agents I have been working with for a long time from the very early stage of my career. I am very pleased they liked my new range and am glad to work together again for this show! 

Lights On at Flow Gallery, from 10th Dec - 7th February.

They are one of my favourite galleries. They have been working on their space renovation and this will be their first re-opening show! I'm so glad to be part of it!

Christmas show at Cambridge Contemporary Crafts.

I will update the info as soon as I get the latest information about this!

And, of course, our annual Open Studio!

This time we have joined together with other local studios. (Although we only open for one day 29TH NOV!) This is a great chance to see the working studios of great makers such as Marcio Mattos & Marilza Gouvea and Martin Pearce and his guest exhibitor Annabel Faraday in their studios in Broadway Market Mews, and Karen Bunting on Beck Road (just a minute walking from Broadway Market!)

Looking forward to seeing you!!

harvest show 2014

On a beautiful sunny day yesterday, I popped out the studio for a few hours to see the Harvest Festival.

It seems you enjoy creating all sorts of awards in everything. Especially I love this kind of sweet competitions. I love seeing the effort that goes in any small things and the critical eyes that appreciate and praise it.

One day I would like to visit one of the fields of those huge pumpkins!

昨日はHarvest Festivalに行ってきた。この季節になると、イギリスのあちこちではこのようなフェスティバルがあり、野菜やフルーツの品評会をする。

品種ごとに賞もあり、形が美しいことや揃っていることなどが審査の基準となる。やはりりんごや洋梨のエントリーが多い。観客としては、お店などで見る事のない品種を見る楽しみがあると同時に、こういう伝統的な催しを続けるによって、いろいろ守られる価値や思想もあると思い、嬉しくなる。

また品評会独特の野菜の並べ方がおもしろかったり、かわいかったり。

これは700種近くあるりんごの種類のたった一部。りんご好きには、聖地のような果樹園がイギリスにはある。生食用のりんごが400種と仮定して、一年で50種食べたとしても８年はかかるなー。遠い道のり。

品評会に出してもダメな野菜の例。プロの見る目っておもしろい。

new bowl! (to my personal collection)

Thank you so much to those who came to see me at Ceramics in the City. It was a great weekend for me, seeing a lovely audience who is knowledgeable and appreciates what we do and spending a weekend in the lovely venue.
Also I felt so honoured to be among the talented makers and had a good chance to speak with them. I learnt so much about their practice and ceramic terms.
I swapped work with a few of other exhibitors as a remembrance, and one of these was Hannah McAndrew who makes beautiful English slipware. Something about her work made me feel home, and I fell in love with a particular one that had a simpler slip decoration. 
The great thing about having a good pottery is to make you think what to cook and how to use it. Since I got this I've been thinking all sorts of dishes. Yesterday finally I spent some good amount of time in the kitchen cooking and enjoyed the dish. It's one of the happiest moments. Thank you, Hannah.

この間のショー以降、いろいろな形での反応を頂いたり、クリスマスオーダーも重なって、忙しい日々が続いた。幸い、こちらの気候はちょうど良く、適度なスピードで粘土も乾くので、気持ちよく働ける毎日。ただ、料理に割く時間が少なくなり、作りだめの料理ばかりしていた。
ショーで出会った、他の作家さんから頂いた器を使ってみたくて（ショーでは作品の交換をよくする）、ずっとそわそわしていた時だったので、ようやく昨日、台所で過ごすゆったりとした時間は、久しぶりの幸せのひと時。
写真は料理が盛られていて器が良く見えないけれども、イギリスのスリップウェアをしているハナさんの作品。一目見た時からかわいいなーと思っていたものなので、家に持ち帰ってからは毎日眺めて、どうやって使おうかと考えていた。浅いココット皿のようなもので、今回は中鉢的に使ってみた。焼き菓子などにも使いたい感じ。彼女の作品は日本ではGallery St.Ivesで取り扱われているとのこと。イギリスのスリップウェアは日本の食卓にも取り込みやすいので、是非！