VOICE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
MAGAZINE
Selected Article
Dialogue with partner
We want to leave the consideration and consideration method of creators to the future! The dialogue between member of Kiwakoto and development partners.
In order to polish the technique of a craftsman, self-explore as an artist
Takehiro KATO (Master of JOBU GAMA) × YOSHIMURA (Kiwakoto Director)
Takehiro KATA
Master of Kyō-yaki (Kyō ware is a type of Japanese pottery traditionally from Kyoto.) ・Kiyomizu-yaki (Kiyomizu ware is a type of Kyō ware traditionally from Gojōzaka district near Kiyomizu Temple, in Kyoto.) JOBU GAMA Corporation
Work as an artisan and prohibit arts as an artist. Professional in the study of color performance of glaze.
Yoshimura:
Thank you for meeting me today, and please let me ask the first question.
Mr. Kato, are you an artisan? Or you prefer being called an artist? Work in a world of traditional crafts with many creators every day, I think the limit between artist and artisan is not so clear. Mr. Kato, are you also developing and making the kitchen tools while prohibiting your art works?
Kato:
I think both I am. Japanese “工芸” (KOGEI), is not a simple word as the English word “craft” but presented as the independent word “KOGEI” recently for express the special concept of Japanese.
If I work as an artisan, I always work for the needs of customers. Not only make things to use, but things fit for the needs of people who use them. But if I work as an artist, I will express more ideas of myself, to create what only I can create.
The techniques and the methods of expression from the explore of myself can make a feedback on the job which I do as an artisan, then I can make things exceed the needs of my customers asked. Hence, I always walk in dual identify between artisan and artist.
I participate the exhibitions for reminding myself that my art works stand with the first-rate artists’ arts, then I must create things can be recognized without seeing my name.
We want to convey the joy from stories of products
Yoshimura:
When you work on a new product as an artisan, what would you consider?
Kato:
Because I work a lot on the tea sets and the plates which are used by antipasto and so on, those are always used in a special time, then I would consider to make a story, like “I made this set for today with this kind of consideration” or “I made a special part for…”, I think it’s very important.
People who attended the exhibition listened and accepted the story maybe pleased by the special part made for them.
An object which can deliver the information from the creator to the audiences or customers by the details is called art.
Yoshimura:
I accept. The special experience of seeing the expression of an art made by the deep consideration of creator with all his heart will leave in customers’ memories deeply.
And this time the fragrance vessels which are used in car, also a crystallization made by ideas of us who offer luxury driving life, combine Mr. Sato’s technique and the intelligence of fragrance experts together, we finally made the new product.
Kato:
That’s right. As a specialist of pottery, in the past I only knew what I was working on, my ideas were limited with my own creation. But this time was different, because it’s so rare to imagine put a pottery in a moving space!
By repeating trial and error, I’m glad that we made the vessel contains the natural essential oil can be put in the moving space. I think it’s such an excellent idea for make the traditioanl Japanese pottery items in the cars, the representative of modern space. I want to break through tradition and challenge more.
Latest Article
