Akiko Hirai makes largely functional ware using the Japanese tradition of allowing the clay itself to show the way in which it wants to be fired. She tries not to control her materials but to let them and the unpredictable environment of the kiln dictate much of the resulting shape and colour of her work. She respects most the forms created by spontaneity, saying that it reflects her unconscious mind more.
Organic and honest in their nature, Akiko’s vessels are created using various building techniques, including throwing, coiling, and casting, with multiple layers of slips and glazes which create complex textures and tones for each ceramic surface.
“You cannot judge a finished piece immediately. You have to sleep on it. There are so many pots that I have slept on.”
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