In search of his own style of ceramicsKatsudo Nakajima first aspired to become a ceramist when he was in high school. He felt a warm nostalgia when he saw Korean Ly Dynasty ceramics at a folkcraft museum in Meguro-ku, Tokyo. In Japan, Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture produced ceramics by using Korean type ascending kiln. ”If that’s the case, I should learn ’Hagi-yaki.’” he decided, but on his way to Hagi, he traveled to other parts of western Japan. He traveled around Japan in his car. From Seto to Shiga, Kyoto, then to Kyushu, then finally to his final destination, Hagi. After actually studying the method under a master, he felt that the current ”Hagi-yaki” differed from that of the Ly Dynasty, so he decided to learn old Japanese pottery techniques, and head for ”Shigaraki-yaki” kiln in Shiga. |
Owning his own kiln”In Shigaraki, they used to make pottery for everyday life. They also made pottery for tea ceremonies. But that didn’t really suite me either. I wanted to make something that is enjoyed by all five senses, as it is being used.” Realizing that everyday kitchenware fit this ideal, he decided to relocate to the Iga region to train further. The journey was long but everything he learned makes up who he is now. When he turned 30 in 1984, he moved to Kanagawa and built an ascending kiln. |
Ascending kiln and glazeThe characteristics of the pottery baked in an ascending kiln is the rich coloring on the pieces brought on by this type of kiln. The ashes from the pine tree blends with glaze and fuses into glass of many colors in the 1200℃ blaze. |
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- Ceramist Katsudo Nakajima
- Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture
- URL http://katsudo-n.sakura.ne.jp/