“ I am a Scottish ceramic artist based in Shonan Kamakura. As a way to more deeply connect with my natural and cultural environment I began to learn about Japanese antique ceramics and also the process of making pottery myself. Coming from a fashion and textile background I have always been obsessed with texture and surface pattern. Making clothing patterns also relates to the 3D nature of making forms in clay. I am currently drawn to making organic forms and using hand moulding techniques. Current inspirations are Momoyama period pottery such as Oribe and Raku yaki Chawans created using the tebineri technique. I try to offer my own perspective through my work whilst blending Japanese and British influences. The aim...
One of my female heroes, not just in the world of pottery but as a life role model. The stories of her read like a Japanese folk tale, full of hardship and lessons to be learned. To me her bold abstract art reflects her courageous and free spirit. In the Edo period many women artists were successful in areas such as poetry and painting but their works often followed the rules set by male predecessors. Going against the norm, Rengetsu created her own style in pottery and became famous for it. Born an illegitimate child of a Geisha and a Samourai, Rengetsu was given to the Otagaki family to be brought up in the buddhist temple Choin’in in Kyoto. She...
Recently we have been spending weekends at the kiln taming the land, cleaning around the kiln and building a camping deck. We hacked through bamboo and forest on the lower level of the land. Clearing the land was so much fun and surprisingly took no time at all. Preparing the soil was another story. We pulled up meters of bamboo roots in an attempt to stop it from coming up through the tent. This was back breaking work which will probably be undone by the hardy nature of bamboo. We laid landscaping fabric and recycled shingle which we got from a roofing company that breaks up old roof tiles and delivers them for free. The deck we built took three...
Why Ocean Ridge Kiln? The name chosen for the kiln is actually it’s original name given by the creator of the kiln but with an English twist. Yasui-san built the kiln in 1995 and called it sea god, mountain god kiln (海彦 山彦窯). Yasui-san has an artist name Kai 海 Yasui 安井 which also means sea. Coincidentally this is the same name and kanji we gave to our youngest son. Our oldest son we named Rei 嶺 meaning ridge. As our children are by chance named essentially the original name of the kiln it didn’t feel right to change it. As I myself am British I felt as though I should represent that by naming the kiln in English. The...
Hi everyone, my name is Laura Pearson, Scottish potter in Japan. After recently getting into pottery and being inspired by the rich history of ceramics in Japan I came across an amazing opportunity to buy a piece of land in beautiful and warm Izu Japan with a wood fired kiln. The land is forested, hilly and close to the sea. A perfect blend of nature but not too far from local amenities. This was once the dream space for a potter called Kai Yasui who built himself his own kiln, tiny house and workshop. He worked here and created unique wood fired and raku ceramics for over 20 years but has now retired from the profession. I am humbled to...
