Candy-like ceramics
”I’ve never seen ceramics like this. It looks like sugar candy,” Nakata commented. The pieces were in various shapes, such as utensils, lampshades and objects, but the one common factor was that many were made in pastel colors such as pink. Another characteristic was that the decorations on the pieces were small and delicate, the patterns stamped on the pieces called seal flowers were fancy. Pop and unique features of the pieces have captured public interest making her a popular artist.
There was another reason Nakata described the pieces as resembling ”sugar candy”, and it is the translucency. The artist blends glass powder to the clay to increase the translucency of the surface. The lucent light on the pieces are indescribably beautiful and charming./p>
Switching from working in an office to an ceramic artist
Otsuki did not study ceramics at an arts college or in school.
She was an office worker before she became a ceramist. She saved money from the office job, attended ceramics classes for a year. At the end of that year, she asked for an apprenticeship but was declined, ”Quit while you still can.” She was turned down because of her lack of formal training, as it would be more difficult to pursue the path of ceramics.
She kept on trying saying, ”I don’t need to be paid, I will do anything. Please let me work here.” In the end, she was allowed to work there. It was the moment her passion moved another person.
From there she kept challenging the ”difficult” path to become the respected ceramist that she is today.
The origin of her fancy motif
Perhaps she is able to create her special fancy pieces because she did not take the standard path as a ceramic artist. ”Where do these motifs come from?” asked Nakata, and her surprising answer was, ”Photographs.”
”I like pictures of cakes. They give me inspiration. I also like to see pictures of trees and flowers. This is where I get my ideas.” From photographs of cakes to ceramics. This is what makes Otsuki’s pieces so interesting.
