[Interview with Toru Hatta, Part 2] Future Challenges
------Now, let's move on to a more personal question. Mr. Hatta, do you have any favorite artists?
"I was blown away by Richard Serra's gigantic sculptures.
With pottery, you can only make pieces that fit in the kiln, and they shrink when fired, so it feels a bit like making a miniature.
In that respect, I am envious of works of art that are on a scale that people can enter and that allow them to immerse themselves in all five senses.
I also like Henri Matisse.
I have the impression that my recent works have become all rather neat when viewed objectively.
In comparison, Matisse's paintings seem somewhat poor.
But that's what makes it so appealing. I think there are many things we can learn from it."
------You seem to be attracted to artists who are in a different field from your own.
------Going back to the topic for a moment, can I ask you about times when you feel joy at work?
“It’s when something good burns. Most of the time, I’m not satisfied enough.
However, on rare occasions, I end up with a perfect piece of work that I can't believe I made myself.
I'm really happy at times like this."
-------What kind of good things do you mean, Mr. Hatta?
"I've done a lot of different things in my career.
When I was young, I wanted to have a solo exhibition in Tokyo, so I packed a suitcase full of my own pottery and went there to sell it.
I visited a number of galleries, and everyone was very kind and helpful.
I told him that my work was not yet at a level where I could hold a solo exhibition. Looking back, I think that at that time I was just making works without really thinking about it.
Since it's a large plate, it's roughly this size and this depth.
I think they probably saw through this way of thinking.
At that time, I had only just started making pottery.
Nowadays, I create each piece with dozens, sometimes even more than a hundred, of attention to detail.
It's a process of working backwards from the moment it's used and packing it with attention to detail.
They are tiny, very small accumulations that no one notices, but each and every one of them has meaning.
I think this commitment is what makes my work so good."
------The accumulation of small details creates great things. This is something that can be said about any job.
------Now, I'd like to ask you about your future challenges.
"Two years ago, there was a pop-up store for a Danish restaurant called Noma in Kyoto.
Because they used my tableware there, I was invited to a pre-opening event for those involved.
Later, a friend asked me what I thought of the taste, but it was really difficult to answer (laughs).
You can't tell what it tastes like just by looking at it, and when you put it in your mouth it tastes like nothing you've ever experienced before.Of course it's delicious.
But it wasn't just a simple impression of being delicious, it felt like I was experiencing a new cuisine I'd never encountered before. I enjoyed encountering a new flavor.
Nowadays, ceramics has a wide variety of designs, as it has a long history.
I believe that there are certainly good things in things that have been passed down from ancient times, and that they have a timeless appeal.
However, I don't just want to reinterpret works created during the Momoyama and Yi periods; I want to create new works that transcend conventional notions and that people all over the world will recognize as Hatta's work."
------Finally, could you give a message to up-and-coming artists?
"I can't say such arrogant things (laughs).
However, recently I've been thinking that the experiences I had when I was younger and when I wasn't selling well are now very useful.
There were times when I felt miserable, but I feel that none of the experiences were wasted.
I think if even one of these things had been missing, we probably wouldn't have gotten to where we are today.
It feels like all the seeds I've planted so far have sprouted.
I'm glad I didn't give up and kept going. I've recently come to realize that it's important to just keep going."
