I explore traditional Japanese pottery forms and I am specifically interested in learning about Japanese
tea bowls and yunomis.

 

The history, purpose and meaning of the Japanese pottery forms are as important to me as their design. Phil Rogers, a potter based in England, maintains that the potter “must know something of the traditions and conventions that have existed and contributed to the growth of that form.” Understanding artistic tradition contributes to who we are as people and artists. By examining what has been done before, we gather knowledge and inspiration that enrich our experience of the world.

 

My first pottery instructor, Makoto Yabe, introduced me to traditional Japanese pottery aesthetics and techniques. His enthusiasm and knowledge was the initial draw, but it is the elegant expression of a vocabulary made up of forms, marks and glaze that captured me.