VOICE

How did you come to bamboo as a material, and what is its appeal?I have always loved the tea ceremony, a culture with a uniquely Japanese spirituality. The tea ceremony utilizes meticulously crafted tools to offer a hospitality that embodies the spirit of “ichi-go ichi-e,” or a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. One of the reasons I chose bamboo was my awareness of environmental issues. Growing up in t...

How did the Ryuhaku glaze, which has become synonymous with your work, come about?There are three historic kiln sites in Sonose, and one can still find many pieces of ceramics scattered at the foot of the kilns. The fragments from that time often have a different texture than the current image of Hagi ware, and can evoke surprisingly new and different feelings as well. One of them had a coloring s...

How did you spend your childhood and school age years? What were your interests and encounters with pottery?I was a child who loved to draw. I drew pictures and cartoons. I had no experience with ceramics, but since my father was from Saga Prefecture, most of the tableware we used at home was simple Arita ware. My father would tell me, “This is good stuff.” One of my father’s relatives...

Please tell us how NEXTRAD was founded.Fujimoto: In 2016, which marked the 400th anniversary of the birth of Arita ware, the first porcelain in Japan, the “Arita Porcelain 400th Anniversary Project” was promoted with the support of various people and organizations, including Saga Prefecture. The project included an exhibition at Maison & Objet and Milano Salone, collaborations with...

How did you get started as a glass artist?My father was a glassblowing artist, so I grew up in an environment where glass was around me from a young age. I was really a child who loved making things and drawing pictures. I first encountered traditional Japanese painting in the art club of my high school, and I enjoyed it so much that I became obsessed with it. I skipped classes and stayed in the c...

Q1：What kind of encounter did you have with Kokura-ori?I did not graduate from an art university and my family business was not related to Kogei, so, my approach was rather different. I like literature since my childhood and when I was a university student, I was attracted by early modern Japanese theater styles and started to learn about Zeami (Noh actor). Subsequently, I started studying weaving...