The Creative Process of Japanese Ceramic Artist Hiroki Nakao, Who Creates One-of-a-Kind Works with Rich Colors.

I really hope that more people will pick it up and that this will lead to more work opportunities. There's a high school called Shigayaki High School beyond the mountains, and that's where I first encountered ceramics—through joining the ceramics club. My senior has been continuously playing the potter's wheel right beside me, making a large number of tableware. Looking at it, I thought what a lonely, dirty job this is—my hands would get soiled. The moment I vowed never to take up a solitary profession like ceramics was the very moment I met ceramics. I decided to write a novel, so I enrolled in the Literature Department of Kyoto Biochemical University, aiming to become a novelist, and wrote some prose. Then I gave up after one month, said I wanted to become an actor, joined the drama club, and wasted four years of my life in the drama club. Then, when it came time to get a job, I gave up on acting, and I didn't want to become a potter either. I thought I might be able to do something like a pottery class, but when I tried it, I realized I'm completely unsuited for it. I'm thinking about going back to Shigamori and重新 studying ceramics. It so happened that I came to be helped by a place called Ogawa Kenzō Tōhō, run by Shigeru Morigi, during autumn while working part-time. But I had absolutely no image of becoming a writer, neither confidence nor resolve. I'm determined to do my best at Kenzo Ogawa's Tōhō, but there's a vocational training school there. That would be the path—studying diligently for one year as a freelance writer, eventually becoming a novelist. Of course, the appearance of Mr. Kenzo Ogawa and Ms. Hoshino is certainly impressive as well. When it's presented as a dish, it actually enhances the food tremendously, which is incredibly shocking, I mean... I also aim to enhance the dishes I prepare, even if only in a modest way. The clay I'm using employs quite delicate and sensitive glazes. The clay ends up getting worn away or even breaking because it can't withstand the glaze. I've asked the potter to help reduce it, and I'm using the clay that has been blended repeatedly with their assistance. I think it might be somewhat dark, though. Almost exactly Yeah, OK Good. It's almost exactly that, isn't it? I thought it wouldn't be possible to compete on equal terms at the beginning. I've thought that glaze is absolutely essential ever since then. I was able to start with several weapons already developed, each of which I personally favored. I truly feel glad that I declined the glaze. I hope more people will pick it up and that handmade crafts will continue to spread.