[Interview with Toru Hatta, Part 1] Sharing aesthetic sense through tableware

------Could you tell us how you decided to become a potter?

"I had no experience with pottery until I entered university.

I enrolled in the Department of Environmental Design at university and discovered ceramics as part of a class. I wasn't drawn to ceramics right away, but rather I found the lighting class enjoyable.

I had hoped to find a job in the lighting industry, but due to the recession and family circumstances, it didn't work out.

I also heard that lighting companies mainly focus on design and there are few processes where you actually get to create the lighting yourself.

I wanted to do a job where I could continue to create things with my own hands, so I shifted to pottery.

I trained hard to master potter's wheel techniques before graduating from university. The more I made, the more my skills improved, which was fun.

After that, I passed the employment exam at Yumeshima Ceramic Art Museum and took my first steps as a ceramic artist.

------I see, so the desire to continue creating is the origin.

------ Next, could you tell us about the appeal of pottery?

"I think the interesting thing about pottery is that it can bring out the beauty of nature.

Pottery involves a firing process at the end, which means that the final step is left to nature.

Of course, other crafts are wonderful, but I think pottery is the only one that lets nature take over the process.

I believe that nature is completely beautiful, so I find an indescribable fascination with pottery, which allows me to express the beauty of nature through my work."

------Nature is completely beautiful. That's a wonderful phrase. I imagine that leaving the completion to nature is fun, but also difficult. How do you deal with fire and earth?

“I’ve almost given up. My kiln holds about 500 pieces, so it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact expression I’m aiming for.

People often say that unloading pottery from the kiln is fun, but in fact it is the most unpleasant and depressing task.

Most of my creations end up firing in a way that is different from what I imagined.

Face the results every day and expand your tolerance while also taking an objective perspective.

By repeating this process over and over, I've now become able to enjoy the things I can't control."

------Enjoying things you can't control. These words sound like a form of training. What do you think the ideal vessel is?

"To put it simply, it is a vessel that you can imagine using.

My ideal vessel is one that allows me to imagine a scene in which it can be used, whether for food or drink, even if it has nothing in it."

------Indeed, Hatta's pottery makes you want to think about what to put in it to make it look beautiful. I enjoy the time I spend thinking about what to put in it (laughs). It's a charm unique to Hatta that other pottery doesn't have.

------I hear you are particular about the clay you use to create the ideal vessels.

"As I mentioned earlier, I believe the appeal of pottery is that it brings out the beauty of nature.

So, when selecting materials, I am very conscious of whether I can bring out the beauty of nature.

Soil is not an inexhaustible resource, so I am currently blending soil from various regions to come closer to my ideal creations.

Not only in the clay preparation, but also in the way we turn the potter's wheel and fire the kiln, we are consistently conscious of "how we can express nature."

I believe that the beauty of nature can reach people of any culture or race."

------So through the vessels, we can communicate without relying on language. Even if we speak different languages, we can understand each other in terms of aesthetic sense. It's a fascinating scene.

------It's a lovely workshop, but you also have a lot of particular preferences for it, don't you?

"A space that's just big enough for two people to work in, neither too big nor too small, is my ideal space right now. If it's too big, things just keep piling up.

I also focus on creating an environment that keeps people motivated to create.

I create things every day, but just putting my hands to work doesn't mean that good things will come out.

I think it's important to maintain a consistent motivation for creating despite the changing emotions that come with each day.

So I try to create an environment that is conducive to production by playing my favorite music and using various other methods.

For example, if the workshop is dirty, people won't want to come.

I don't think that kind of environment or motivation will produce anything good."

------Maintaining my motivation. I feel like I received some advice on my work. Are you particular about the kiln as well?

"First, I have to talk about Maishima Ceramic Art Museum.

This facility was established to reuse clay excavated during the excavation of an undersea tunnel in Osaka Bay for pottery.

There is a climbing kiln where the food is baked over an open flame using firewood, which was very interesting.

The property I found that was available did not have a wood-fired kiln, so I ended up building a pit kiln.

Actually, anything that could be fired with firewood would be fine. I really wanted a wood-fired kiln that I could fire myself."

------So you were fascinated by fire. When I see an anagama kiln with fire in it, I feel an overwhelming power. I can understand why it's so addictive.

The second half will be released tomorrow.