If you drive for about an hour from the center of Shizuoka Hamamatsu and climb a straight road surrounded by tranquil mountains, you will find Kazunori Fukui 's workshop on a hill with a great view.
From the workshop, you can see a range of lush green mountains. Involuntarily, you will want to say “Yahho~!”.
Mr. Fukui, who liked the sea, studied at high school, university and marine school. At first, I was interested in the job of riding a ship and studied it, but the practical experience on a long-term voyage was unexpectedly difficult, and I began to think that it might not be for me. When I was a university student, when I saw Taro Okamoto's books and paintings overflowing with passion and energy, I was inspired by my interest and yearning for making things. Mr. Fukui, who has liked drawing since he was a child, began to think, "I want to create something with my own hands." I applied at the right time when I saw the recruitment of hands-on staff for a pottery class in Yamanashi. After about five years of experience, I was able to build my long-awaited "Kururi kiln". Then I came across this wonderful workshop that was used by a local potter in Hamamatsu.
On the day I visited, there was a breeze that felt the rich blessings of Shizuoka .
"It's great when the weather is nice, but it's pretty cold in the winter (laughs)," says Fukui.
A kerosene kiln is used to express the depth of taste in the work.
The tasteful chimney in the workshop is impressive.
A splendid wood-fired kiln left by the previous owner, a potter. He said he would like to try this firewood kiln someday.
When I asked him about his current pottery work, he said, "I make it myself, sell it at events and craft fairs, talk to customers and shop owners to get their feedback, think about it again, make it and sell it. That's the flow. I think it suits me.”
Mr. Fukui answers each of the various questions here in an easy-to-understand manner. When he talks about his work, I can see that he makes many revisions and tries to meet the detailed requests of the users. In addition to his sensibility for making things, he also has a strong sense of science, so I felt that he enjoyed working on the challenges, verifications, and corrections involved in making pottery.
When creating works, what is important is the sense of size and variation. Each household uses different vessels, so I made the same shape by cutting it into pieces of 1 sun (approximately 3 centimeters). "I wish it was a little more like this..."
The red clay of Seto and Gifu is blended to express the roundness and softness while retaining the texture of the clay. Adjusted so that the color and iron powder appear tastefully.
The clay is applied to the base material, then the glaze is applied and fired (reduction firing). Gradually, the scenery of the powdered pottery is created, and the more you use it, the more delicious it becomes.
Matt glaze and ash glaze mat have different shades due to the difference in glaze.
The ash glaze is an elegant shade of pale blue.
One of the pleasures of kohiki pottery is how it changes over time. At the beginning of use, oil and food may seep in in some places, but as you use it, it will become familiar with the whole, so you can enjoy a different texture. If you want to enjoy the change of the container slowly, it is effective to soak it in water before each use to prevent oil and color from soaking into it.
The mug has a slightly larger handle than before!
This time, the ``green ash glaze'' vessel, which is newly handled, is a beautiful work with a clear bluish green like jade on a smooth surface.
Mr. Fukui tests various techniques every day. When I talked to him, he showed me the process of making a work that had a stamp on the base material and was painted with gosu (a blue-colored material). He also mentioned that he wanted to make something more durable and easy to use. I think that new styles of works will appear in the future. I'm looking forward to it! (Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.)
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