Lapis lazuli that reminds us of the clear night sky and solemn deep sea, and elegant amber like dusk. Ruriame Koubou's works make me feel nostalgic. The beauty of the glaze that makes you sigh unintentionally is all wonderful. The name of the workshop, “Ruriame Kobo,” comes from the lapis lazuli and candy glaze that ceramic artist Kaoru Sakai loves.
We visited Sukagawa's studio in Fukushima and had the opportunity to talk with her.
The neatly arranged workshop seems to reflect Kaoru's personality.
When I saw the beautiful, shining vessels arranged neatly on the desk, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, that's wonderful!" A calm yet colorful container. You will want to take everything in your hand and look at it slowly.
“I love candy glaze. I made it by gradually changing the color distribution between the candy and the lapis lazuli glaze,” says Kaoru with a gentle smile.
Originally from Meguro, Tokyo, Kaoru encountered pottery at a pottery class in Shibuya when he was a company employee. It was there that she met her husband, who had been her assistant, and became even more devoted to pottery.
Ms. Kaoru says that it is really difficult to combine the retro modernity that makes you think of imported products and the beauty of the glaze that goes well with it.
“I moved to Sukagawa, where my husband’s parents lived, and started making pottery while taking pottery classes . I don't have one, so my husband helps me with the kiln, " says Kaoru.
A stylish design with a characteristic solid feeling is created by making a wooden mold and using it like a stamp to create a pattern.
“It was difficult to achieve this texture with a mold. Really nice and personable.
In the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the Sukagawa River shook considerably, and it seems that the nearly 3-meter shelf in the workshop that the husband uses collapsed, causing a lot of trouble.
“The shelf was properly fixed to the wall, but it fell over. The cracks on the floor are also amazing,” said the owner. If you look down, you can still see the painful scars. It seems to tell the difficulty of those days.
There was a small earthquake a little while before the great earthquake struck.
“It makes a big difference if the kiln is okay,” says Kaoru.
After the devastating post-earthquake period, I had some time to look at my own work, and in 2015, I launched the Ruriame studio.
“There is still a lot of trial and error going on, but I’m doing it while listening to the teacher (husband) about the glaze . There are also people who think that it has a deep taste.It is precisely because they use it that the taste comes out.I would like to make such a pottery,” says Kaoru.
“By this time, her work was finally showing its own style,” said the owner. The two of you were very well-matched.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
I'm looking forward to your wonderful works!
Click here for works by Ruriame Koubou
