Mr. Nakagawa, who produces ``slipwear'' with beautiful decorations that has developed independently in England. We visited Nakaoyama's workshop in Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture and asked about it!
Hasami ware and pottery Nakaoyama district
Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture is popular these days as stylish everyday tableware, in addition to its high quality and ease of use. The history of pottery goes back over 400 years. During the Edo period, porcelain production developed greatly. The pottery stone, which is the raw material, was mined in the Mimata, Nakao, and Nagao districts of Hasami Town .
The ``Nakaoue Noborigama Kiln Ruins'', which boasts the second largest scale in the world, is a huge climbing kiln ruins with a length of about 160m and 33 kilns. You can see it even from a distance, and you will be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the scale, which was built to stick to the surface of the mountain.
This large climbing kiln made mass production possible in the Edo period, and pottery made here traveled around the world. On Mt. Nakao, the chimneys of potteries are lined up here and there, and the townscape has a nostalgic atmosphere. Most of the potteries are produced by individuals, families, or small groups. It's also a fun place to wander around with a map in hand!
Nakaoyama Otou Festival ''and ''Autumn Pottery Tour''
Twice a year during the cherry blossom season, the ``Nakaoyama Oto Festival'' and the ``Autumn Pottery Meguri'' offer tours of potteries, pottery painting experiences, and limited pottery boxed lunches. . There is also a different kind of fun that goes along with the festival season!
Nakaoyama Oto Festival First Saturday and Sunday of April every year (two days)
Autumn pottery tour Every year in late October Saturday and Sunday (2 days)
inquiry:
Suekyo Nakaoyama Exchange Center Phone: 0956-85-2273
Slipware by Ki Kama (Norio Nakagawa)
Mr. Nakagawa was born and raised in Nakaoyama, the home of pottery. Influenced by seeing his father running the Komei kiln and making pottery, he entered an art college. After graduating from a junior college, he trained at Daisei Kiln in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture for about eight years. In 2009, he returned to his hometown and built ``Kigama''.
When he was training, the pottery used to bake fir and straw to make the glaze, and even now he uses as much of the natural material as possible to make his works.
When writing lines, do it all at once!
"I feel like I can't draw a good line when I'm lost," says Nakagawa.
``Slipware'', which is also a folk art in Europe, was pushed by the wave of mass production of the industrial revolution and was once obsolete. The value of slipware has been reassessed, and even now, young and experienced makers are still producing slipware.
You can feel the individuality of each artist, but each line of Mr. Nakagawa's slipwear has a sense of dynamism, and you can feel an atmosphere close to the old style of England.
A little heavy weight and a comfortable solid feeling of soil. I think that the eccentric pattern will stand out, but it goes surprisingly well with Japanese tables as well as Western dishes.
The oven is also OK because it is made hard and durable. Gratin and grilled dishes also look great!
We are making pottery every day with the aim of keeping the goodness of handmade and making it perfect when the dish is served.
(Mr. Nakagawa, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to interrupt me! I look forward to seeing more wonderful works from now on.)
Click here for works handled by Norio Nakagawa (Kigama) 